Jun.6 (GMM) Cadillac has again moved to dismiss speculation that Valtteri Bottas could lose his seat despite the Finn’s difficult start to the season alongside Sergio Perez.
Rumours circulating in Montreal suggested Bottas was under pressure after being consistently outpaced by Perez, with some reports even claiming Cadillac could consider replacing him before the end of the year.
Team principal Graeme Lowdon quickly rejected those claims, and now Cadillac executive Dan Towriss has done the same.
Asked directly in Monaco whether Bottas’ future remained secure, Towriss was unequivocal.
“We’re very confident to have Valtteri on the team,” he said. “We have the utmost respect for him.
“And just to be clear, there have been no discussions about Valtteri’s performance impacting his future with the team.”
Towriss said Cadillac remains fully committed to the 10-time grand prix winner. “We’re committed to Valtteri, and Valtteri is committed to us,” he added.
The American believes some of the performance gap to Perez can be explained by the evolving nature of Cadillac’s car.
“We need to continue to find more downforce on the car, and every driver feels that differently,” Towriss explained. “Progress isn’t always linear.
“What Checo feels today is he’s progressing, and I’m confident that Valtteri will be there very, very soon.”
Even so, Cadillac continues to keep its long-term options open.
When asked about plans for the 2027 driver lineup, Lowdon avoided offering any guarantees.
“When you look at everything we have to do in the team, we have a very long list to work through,” he said. “We are extremely happy with the drivers we have and the work they are doing.”
“There’s no news from me on the driver front.”
One name obviously being prepared for a future Formula 1 opportunity is American driver Colton Herta.
Although Lowdon recently dismissed rumours suggesting Herta could replace Bottas immediately, he confirmed the IndyCar star remains on a dedicated Formula 1 development program.
“He’s made it very clear that he wants to be in Formula 1,” Lowdon said.
“If you want to achieve that, then you have to learn, learn, learn – and that’s what he’s doing.”
The Cadillac boss revealed Herta will take part in Formula 1 practice sessions later this year. “He has his program,” Lowdon said.
“He’ll be behind the wheel for some free practice sessions this season. We’ll see how that goes.”
