Overview

• Bottas has rejoined Mercedes as a third driver and earned praise from team principal Toto Wolff and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli for his mentorship.
• He acknowledges that Mercedes will retain Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for 2026, closing the door on a return there.
• Bottas concedes that Red Bull is focused on its own academy talent and is unlikely to offer an outside driver its second car.
• Alpine is exploring its driver lineup around its new Mercedes power unit and has held preliminary discussions with Bottas’s management over Pierre Gasly’s pending contract.
• Cadillac’s planned F1 entry is seeking experienced racers and Bottas aims to confirm his 2026 drive by August.