Bottas misses Williams 2025 seat after Sainz deal, to Cadillac 2026

Valtteri Bottas said he was poised to rejoin Williams for the 2025 Formula 1 season until the last-minute arrival of Carlos Sainz upended the deal, leaving the Finnish driver without a race seat this year and pushing him toward a return with the new Cadillac team in 2026. Bottas made the remarks during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, saying negotiations with Williams team principal James Vowles had reached an advanced stage and that a contract was nearly finalised before Sainz signed for the Grove-based squad.

Bottas, who debuted in F1 with Williams in 2013 and raced for the team through 2016 before moving to Mercedes, said the sequence of moves that began with Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari reshuffled the market and ultimately blocked his comeback. "Carlos Sainz happened. So, yeah, that's F1," he said. Sauber’s decision to sign Gabriel Bortoleto also left Bottas without a seat for 2025; he has served this season as a reserve driver for Mercedes.

Williams’ recruitment of Sainz followed a period of steady improvement under Vowles, who joined the team from Mercedes. Bottas praised Vowles’ impact, saying Williams has "made progress" and crediting a stronger...