Jun.1 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has dropped a giant trace that he could also be staying with Mercedes in 2026.
The 35-year-old Finn misplaced his Sauber seat on the finish of final yr, returning to Mercedes as full-time reserve driver in 2025.
Bottas, who gained 10 grands prix as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, had been linked with the all-new eleventh F1 workforce Cadillac for 2026.
Nevertheless, he now signifies that he’s in actual fact poised to go into the Mercedes simulator at Brackley subsequent week particularly to arrange for the 2026 season – that includes all-new and radically-different energy unit and chassis laws.
If Bottas actually continues to be within the working for a Cadillac seat, it might appear unlikely that Mercedes would enable him to realize early perception into the workforce’s 2026 plans – particularly because the marque is anticipated to dominate with its energy unit.
“I used to be alleged to do it two weeks in the past,” Bottas informed Soy Motor in Barcelona, “however the simulator wasn’t working.
“I’ve a simulator day subsequent week,” he revealed. “It can most likely be my first time doing a little work for 2026 and understanding what the variations are with 2025.”
