Toto Wolff paid tribute to the Valtteri Bottas after confirming that he will lead the Cadillac Formula 1 team for the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, Bottas was eventually announced as a Cadillac F1 driver, working with Sergio Perez in 2026.
The news means Botas will once again say goodbye to Mercedes at the end of this season.
Bottas returned to the Mercedes crease after losing Sauber Drive to Gabriel Boltreto.
Finn has attended most of the races this season and is coaching Kimi Antoneri.
Bottas is also Mercedes’ third and reserve driver. This means driving if either Antonelli or George Russell fails.
Wolf responded actively to the news, saying Botas “still has a lot to offer as a racing driver.”
“It’s great to see Valtteri regain his place on the Formula One Grid next year,” Wolff said in a statement on the Mercedes website.
“He still has a lot to offer as a racing driver and deserves to be on par with Melbourne in the 2026 season.
“Of course, it’s sad to see him go. He plays a key role in our team and his contributions as the third driver of the year was exemplary.
“For now, we’ll continue to work until the end of the year and hope for him well next year and beyond.”
Wolff looks forward to Zandvoort
After a long summer break, F1 will return to the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes returned to the podium last time in Hungary as Russell finished third.
George Russell, Mercedes
©XPB Image
It was an important weekend for Mercedes. Because they abandoned the Imola upgrade and returned to the old suspension section.
This change had an immediate impact, and Russell and Antonelli quickly became more comfortable behind the wheels of the W16.
Looking forward to Zandvoort this weekend, Wolff added:
“We started running to the end of the season, and we are determined that both of these current eras of regulation will end strongly. We are fighting for second place in the Constructors Championship and at the same time focusing on 2026, making it a fierce 10 races.
“We won’t bring any more development to cars this year, but the progress we’ve made in Hungary gives us a good platform to do our job.”