Cadillac F1: Valtteri Bottas Begins New Chapter with First Seat Fitting Reveal

Valtteri Bottas has started his 2026 Formula 1 journey with Cadillac as he completed his first seat fitting at the team’s Silverstone base. The Finnish driver shared the moment through a social media video, giving fans an early look at his return to a full-time race seat. The session marked the first major step in his integration with the new team after spending a year as Mercedes’ reserve driver. Bottas will partner Sergio Perez for Cadillac’s debut F1 season, forming a line-up built on long experience. In the latest video, Bottas walked viewers through the fitting process as he worked with engineers to shape his custom mould. The team recorded key points such as posture, steering reach and pedal placement. These measurements help define his base position in the cockpit and allow early comparisons with Perez.

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This fitting also marks the beginning of Bottas’s operational duties as he shifts from a reserve role back into an active race seat for the first time since 2024.

Bottas returns with 10 Grand Prix wins and 246 career starts, having last raced with Sauber before losing his seat. He remained active through simulator and test work with Mercedes earlier this year. Perez joined Cadillac after completing a test in a Ferrari SF-23 at Imola. Together, the pair bring more than 400 Grand Prix starts, giving Cadillac a driver line-up familiar with different teams, chassis and power units.

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Cadillac now enters a crucial build phase under the 2026 technical rules. The team aims to fire up its first Formula 1 engine before Christmas, with a shakedown scheduled for January. The car will then make its track debut during pre-season testing in Barcelona from 26 to 30 January. Cadillac will reveal its 2026 livery at the Super Bowl in February.

Bottas carries a five-place grid penalty into the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, carried over from the 2024 Abu Dhabi round. Cadillac continues to build its programme as a General Motors-supported entry and will use customer engines until GM’s own power unit is ready for 2028.

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The Silverstone facility supports simulator work and early assembly, with Bottas’s visit marking another step in the countdown to Cadillac’s first F1 season. His social media reveal also drew strong fan engagement as he documented his return to racing, with more test work planned in the coming weeks.