Bottas 'Pretty Confident' of 2027 Cadillac Seat Despite Herta Rumours

Valtteri Bottas says he is "pretty confident" of staying with Cadillac for 2027, pushing back at speculation that the American team will promote reserve driver Colton Herta alongside Sergio Perez next season.

Cadillac confirmed a fresh Perez deal running to 2029 but has stayed silent on Bottas, whose contract is understood to be a one-plus-one arrangement with the second year optional.

Why it matters:

The call is Cadillac's first real test of balancing American marketing pull against hard competitive logic. Perez has been the clear reference point in the garage, while Herta's nationality is an appealing asset for a team still building its US fanbase.

The details:

• Perez leads the qualifying head-to-head 15-9 across their debut season together.
• Bottas expects the matter to be ratified at board level in the United States "soon", and points to the paper deal as his reason for optimism.
• Herta is not yet eligible: the IndyCar convert remains one super licence point short, muddying any timeline for a switch.
• Cadillac sits last in the constructors' championship, pointless after 18 rounds, with both drivers managing rather than racing.

"I don't really have much to say," Bottas said. "That's the situation, there's rumours... We'll find out eventually."

He rejected the idea his form has slipped, saying he has "given everything" while nursing an underdeveloped car home, and stressed that the grind of a debut season was exactly what he signed up for.

What's next:

The board's verdict should land within weeks. If Herta clears the super licence hurdle, Bottas's 14th F1 season is in doubt; if not, the contract is likely to hold.