Valtteri Bottas slammed reports that his Formula 1 seat with Cadillac is in jeopardy, suggesting the rumors that surfaced after the Canadian Grand Prix were for “headlines” and “clicks.”
“That’s my theory,” Bottas told reporters ahead of this week’s Monaco Grand Prix. “It’s not the first time I’ve faced those kind of rumors. It’s a bit of a shame that somebody just makes up complete bull—- but that’s normal in this sport.”
Bottas, 36, signed with Cadillac following a year as a reserve driver for Mercedes. He and teammate Sergio Perez have yet to earn a point through five races for the first-year F1 outfit. Perez was nearly a second quicker during the Montreal Sprint weekend, leading to speculation that Cadillac may be looking to replace Bottas with Formula 2 driver Colton Herta.
“I know my situation, the team knows my situation, and they support me 100%, so that’s why from my side it was OK in the end,” Bottas said.
“That’s the kind of negative side of this sport sometimes. Sometimes people just want to make rumors to write stuff and make up stuff. I’ve learned it’s part of it, and it doesn’t really affect me anymore.”
Herta does not currently have enough FIA super license points to race in F1, and Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon recently told Racing365 that rumors Bottas could be replaced immediately have “no foundation, no truth.”
“I can categorically say that,” Lowdon said. “I’ll make it really, really clear: Factually, they’re completely incorrect. There’s no basis of truth whatsoever in any of them.”
Cadillac signed the two veteran F1 drivers to contracts through the 2027 season to provide significant experience for the newest team on the grid. Bottas finished second in the championship in 2019 and 2020 and has won 10 Grand Prix races in his 13 seasons. The Finnish native also has earned 67 total podiums in F1, but his most recent win came at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix in his final season before being replaced by George Russell at Mercedes.
Bottas said a review of the Montreal weekend revealed issues with the power unit and the “build side” of his car. He sees the unique nature of the Monaco surface as an opportunity for Cadillac to potentially earn its best result of the season.
“This weekend always is an opportunity for everyone,” Bottas said. “For sure, you’ve got to try and qualify well, but then even in the race you never know what happens. We take it as a nice opportunity ahead.”
–Field Level Media
