Bottas Takes Hands‑On Role Shaping Cadillac’s New F1 Car

After stints at Williams and Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas has stepped into uncharted territory with Cadillac’s brand‑new F1 project, helping shape the car’s DNA from day one – from steering‑wheel layout to steering ratio. In a sport where most drivers inherit a legacy chassis, his hands‑on involvement gives the new team a rare driver‑centric edge as it prepares for a 2026 debut.

Why it matters:

• Driver input on the steering wheel – the cockpit’s command centre – can shave tenths of a second per lap and speed up a rookie team’s learning curve.
• Starting from a clean sheet, Bottas’s experience lets Cadillac avoid legacy compromises and build a car that matches modern driving styles.
• Having two experienced drivers – Bottas and race‑winner Sergio Pérez – gives Cadillac a rare blend of technical feedback and race‑craft, accelerating development.

The details:

• Steering‑wheel design – Bottas chose button layout, tactile feel and steering ratio, tailoring them to his braking and corner‑entry habits.
• Control mapping – he worked with engineers to assign ERS deployment, brake‑bias and DRS to specific paddles and knobs, creating an intuitive driver flow.
• Reliability focus – early testing shows the chassis beats typical ‘new‑team’ teething issues, with fewer part failures across the first three pre‑season runs.

What's next:

Cadillac targets an Australian Grand Prix debut in 2026, aiming for a solid midfield start. Bottas calls the next year a sprint of rapid upgrades and fine‑tuned driver controls, hoping the driver‑centred plan will bring podiums by 2027.