Cadillac have convinced Valtteri Bottas to be one of their first two Formula 1 drivers ever ahead of their entry into the sport next year, with the Finn leaving his Mercedes reserve role

Toto Wolff has helped Valtteri Bottas to find a place back on the F1 grid(Image: Guiseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)

Graeme Lowdon has hailed Toto Wolff for his work to help Valtteri Bottas find a way back onto the Formula 1 grid. The Finn has been signed by Cadillac to race alongside Sergio Perez during the team’s maiden season in the sport next year.

Bottas, 35, was axed at the end of last season by Sauber as parent company Audi wanted to install its own driver pairing following its takeover. He was quickly snapped up by former team Mercedes who hired him as their primary reserve driver for the current campaign.

But Bottas was clear from the off that he wanted to find a way back onto the the grid as quickly as possible. And he has now achieved that, agreeing to help establish Cadillac in F1 from 2026.

That deal was facilitated by Mercedes chief Wolff, who has been open in his desire to help Bottas find a way back into an F1 race seat. The Austrian has been personally involved in the negotiations over the Finn’s future.

And Cadillac team principal Lowdon has expressed his gratitude to Wolff for his work in helping make the deal happen. Speaking to select media, including Mirror Sport, on Tuesday, he said: “I’d like to add on record our thanks to everybody at Mercedes, in particular Toto, for being very helpful in our discussions with Valtteri and organising a good handover at the right time as well.

“I have a lot of respect for Mercedes, and it’s good to see that respect from them as well for Valtteri. I think everyone wants to see him racing on the grid again, and Toto has been very helpful with that, so I just wanted to put that on record.”

Bottas will see out his commitments with Mercedes for the rest of the year, which will limit how involved he can get in Cadillac’s preparations for next season. On the other hand, his team-mate Perez is free to get to work immediately, having chosen to spend some time away from the paddock since he was axed by Red Bull.

“Instead of jumping into something just to stay on the grid, I needed that time back to disconnect myself from the sport a bit and to understand what I really want next in my career,” said the Mexican, also 35.

“It was very clear for me in the beginning, especially the first couple of months, what I wanted to do next. The more I was talking to the Cadillac team, the more it became apparent that this is what excites me to go back.

“I haven’t driven anything for a while other than karting with my son. There are some plans with the team to test a Formula 1 car before the end of the year. Obviously, next year, with so much testing that we’re going to have, it’s going to make that dust go away extremely quickly. I know what Formula 1 is about and I will be ready to deliver from the first race onwards.”