Cadillac reaffirms its support for Bottas amidst rumors.

      Cadillac has once again dismissed rumors regarding Valtteri Bottas potentially losing his seat, despite the Finnish driver's challenging start to the season alongside Sergio Perez. Speculation in Montreal indicated that Bottas was under scrutiny after consistently lagging behind Perez, with some reports suggesting that Cadillac might consider replacing him before the year's end.

      Team principal Graeme Lowdon swiftly refuted those assertions, and Cadillac executive Dan Towriss has followed suit. When asked in Monaco about the security of Bottas’ future, Towriss was clear in his response. "We’re very confident to have Valtteri on the team," he stated. "We have the utmost respect for him. And to clarify, there have been no discussions concerning Valtteri’s performance impacting his future with the team."

      Towriss emphasized Cadillac's full commitment to the 10-time grand prix winner. "We’re committed to Valtteri, and Valtteri is committed to us," he added. The executive believes that part of the performance gap to Perez can be attributed to the ongoing development of Cadillac's car.

      "We need to continue to find more downforce on the car, and each driver feels that differently," Towriss explained. "Progress isn’t always linear. What Checo feels is that he’s making progress, and I’m confident that Valtteri will be there very soon."

      Nevertheless, Cadillac is keeping its long-term options open. When questioned about plans for the 2027 driver lineup, Lowdon refrained from making any assurances. "When you look at everything we have to do in the team, we have a very long list to work through," he mentioned. "We are extremely happy with the drivers we have and the work they are doing. There’s no news from me on the driver front."

      One name preparing for future opportunities in Formula 1 is American driver Colton Herta. Although Lowdon recently quashed rumors about Herta potentially replacing Bottas immediately, he confirmed that the IndyCar star is participating in a dedicated Formula 1 development program. "He’s made it very clear that he wants to be in Formula 1," Lowdon noted. "If you want to achieve that, you must learn continuously, and that’s what he’s doing."

      The Cadillac leader revealed that Herta will be involved in Formula 1 practice sessions later this year. "He has his program," Lowdon said. "He’ll be behind the wheel for some free practice sessions this season. We’ll see how that goes."