Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has strongly denied rumors that Valtteri Bottas could lose his Formula 1 seat. After the race weekend in Canada, messages appeared on social media suggesting that the Finn might be replaced even before Monaco, as the team was reportedly dissatisfied with his performance. Formula 2 driver and Cadillac junior Colton Herta was also mentioned as a possible successor.
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According to Lowdon, however, there is absolutely no truth to this. “Those rumors are completely unfounded,” the Brit told PlanetF1. “I can say that with absolute certainty. Where do I start? Let me be very clear: they are entirely false. There is not a shred of truth in them.” This season, Cadillac made its Formula 1 debut as the eleventh team. They chose an experienced lineup with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, despite both drivers having spent a year out of the sport in 2025.
Lowdon emphasized that the roles of Bottas and Pérez go beyond just race results. “If we look at the work both drivers do, they do much more than drivers at some other teams; we are not just racing, but also building a team at the same time. That is a very unusual task.” According to the Cadillac team principal, outsiders simply do not know what is expected internally from the drivers. “With all due respect, the outside world does not know what we ask of these drivers. Not just per session or race, but also in terms of car development.”
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Unrealistic assumptions
The speculations were also fueled by unrealistic assumptions, according to Lowdon. Cadillac is currently last in the constructors’ championship and is still waiting for its first world championship points, but the Brit sees progress. “It is clear that we are trying to make the car faster. Let me emphasize that – even before we started racing – similar rumors were already circulating claiming that we wouldn’t even qualify within the 107% margin.”
He further dismissed the exit rumors about Bottas. “I haven’t read all the gossip, but what I have seen ignores several absolute basic rules of Formula 1. For example, Colton (Herta, ed.) doesn’t even have the required super license points – that already says enough about the credibility of these rumors. Let me not give it too much attention. I think fans will quickly see through this. Colton, Checo, and Bottas all have their own programs to complete,” Lowdon concluded. “They all contribute in their own way and there is nothing to these kinds of rumors. Bottas does not need to fear for his seat and Checo is not leaving for another team.”
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