Apr.29 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says his contract with Mercedes allows him to race outside of Formula 1.
After losing his Sauber seat at the end of last year, the 10-time grand prix winner returned to Mercedes – where he was famously Lewis Hamilton’s teammate – as reserve driver.
He is now being linked with the new Cadillac F1 team for 2026.
“I hope to return to the grid,” he tells automoto.it. “I feel like I haven’t finished my journey in this sport yet. I still have a few years ahead of me.
“That’s the goal. How to achieve it is the difficult part.”
Bottas, 35, is now regularly pictured alongside his former boss and friend Toto Wolff in the Mercedes garage, and almost as regularly praised for his role in mentoring Hamilton’s teenage replacement, Kimi Antonelli.
“He still has a lot to learn,” Bottas said when asked about the 18-year-old Italian.
“There is a lot to absorb, especially on tracks he hasn’t raced on. I can put my experience at his service for the setup. For driving. I try to help him.”
Bottas’ arrangement with Mercedes means he has to attend all 24 grands prix, but he reveals that the contract also gives him some freedom.
“The first step is to be here, with a great team,” he said on his quest to return to F1. “I keep myself updated on what’s happening in the environment, with the teams preparing for 2026.
“F1 remains my priority,” Bottas added, “but contractually I can also take part in some races during the season. For now I’ve been too busy to do that, but I feel like my career as a driver is not over yet.
“If it weren’t for F1, I would race elsewhere.”
After Jeddah, Bottas travelled to Australia to reunite with his girlfriend Tiffany, and the pair of them both raced in the 100km gravel cycling world championship event near Adelaide.
With his love of cycling that has developed into a true passion and skill in recent years, Bottas thinks that although in his mid-30s, he still has what it takes to race at the top level in Formula 1 once again.
“Why not?” said the Finn when asked if he will still be fit enough for F1 even when he turns 40 in 2029. “I feel like I’m in top form both physically and mentally.”
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