Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has voiced his strong support for Valtteri Bottas amid growing speculation that the Finnish driver is poised to return to the Formula 1 grid with Cadillac Racing in 2026.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Friday practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, Wolff praised Bottas’ ongoing contributions to Mercedes as a reserve and development driver and said he fully backed a potential move to Cadillac, who will make their long-awaited F1 debut in 2026.
The GM-supported outfit has a long list of candidates ranging from F1 drivers such as Bottas and Sergio Perez to younger less experienced prospects such as Mick Schumacher.
“He deserves a drive. We have the best third driver and reserve you can imagine,” Wolff said. “I know Valtteri is going to be on the pace. His mentoring of Kimi [Antonelli] is astonishing. He does it in the right way.
“You see him upstairs looking at the overlays and giving Kimi driving line tips, based on the onboards of other drivers.
“He deserves a full-time drive and I'm happy with him if he were to achieve that.”
Since rejoining Mercedes in a support role after losing his Sauber seat at the end of 2024, Bottas has earned praise for both his simulator work and mentorship of rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season.
The young Italian has spoken openly about how Bottas has helped him navigate a steep learning curve in F1.
“Having Valtteri in the team obviously is great and it’s a great opportunity as well to use him and in a way, in the sense of asking him for advice,” Antonelli said earlier this year, quoted by Motorsport.com.
“So definitely, he’s been really helpful and he’s always there for me, trying to give me advice, especially when he sees that I’m struggling a little bit.
“I think a really good example was Suzuka as well. I had a difficult three free practices, but as well with his help, I was able to overcome the moment. So yeah, I’m really trying to rely on him because he’s a really good help.”
Bottas has been in discussions with Cadillac for several months and is widely considered one of the top candidates to lead the team when it joins the grid in 2026. The 10-time Grand Prix winner spoke recently on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast about the state of those negotiations.
“I don’t think they’re in a massive rush,” he said. “They’ve been very, very busy on trying to get a car on the grid for next year.
“I know my timeline, when I want to know about next year and what plans do I need to make, which I think, August, more or less, is a pretty good target for that. But hopefully we’ll hear something more soon.”
With Cadillac expected to announce at least one of its drivers before the end of the summer break, Wolff’s public endorsement could further boost Bottas’ prospects for a full-time return to the grid.
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