Valtteri Bottas joined his new team Cadillac for a seat fitting as he began preparations to return to the Formula 1 grid next year.

The 36-year-old was unable to begin his work with the team until the end of the season as he remained a reserve driver for Mercedes.

His team mate for the 2026 F1 season, Sergio Perez, has already taken part in a test for the team at Imola using a chassis supplied by Ferrari.

“This is a proud moment in my career as it marks the beginning of a new chapter back on the grid with a team that’s starting its journey in the sport,” said Bottas after visiting Cadillac’s base at Silverstone. “There’s a lot of hard work that lies ahead, so I’m keen to use my experience to help the team now that I’m fully on board.”

He will be part of the first all-new team to enter the sport since Haas 10 years earlier. “Seeing everything coming together for the first time as a brand-new team is special and makes you realise the momentum of the project,” he said. “It’s important to get the preparation right as these moments really are the first steps to getting us ready for the first test.”

Bottas will resume a career which began at Williams in 2013 and paused after he left Sauber at the end of 2024. During that time he scored 10 grand prix victories, all for Mercedes.

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon said he was pleased to “finally” begin work with Bottas. “We’ve been planning for quite some time now, so it’s fantastic to see these moments happening ahead of our first season on track,” he said. The team is due to begin testing alongside its 10 rivals at the Circuit de Catalunya at the end of January.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and

Miss nothing from RaceFans

Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:

Formula 1

Browse all Formula 1 articles