Here is the thing about building a brand-new racing project from scratch: nobody in the boardroom agrees on who should actually steer the machine. As Motorsport.com Deutschland reports, the future of Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac remains wide open. Even though the Finn insists he holds a valid contract for the upcoming season, the confirmation of Sergio Perez arrived ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix without any matching announcement for his teammate. That silence speaks volumes, leaving the status of the 37-year-old driver very much in question.
At the heart of the matter are competing visions between the project's backers. General Motors and TWG are steering this American effort, but they are operating on different decision-making levels with distinct priorities. TWG is pushing hard for Colton Herta, eager to inject a local star into a team whose entire identity leans heavily on its US roots. Herta cleared the final formal hurdle in Brazil by securing the necessary FIA superlicence, paving the way for a potential debut after logging valuable experience in free practice sessions.
Meanwhile, the General Motors side of the equation leans toward continuity. Bottas brings more than a decade of Formula 1 experience to a team in its debut season, making him a valuable asset while car development remains priority number one. But a wild card has entered the mix in the form of a third candidate: Frederik Vesti. The 24-year-old Dane, who serves as a reserve driver for Mercedes and finished as the 2023 Formula 2 runner-up, has been competing in the IMSA championship since 2025 for Action Express driving a Cadillac V-Series.R in the GTP class.
That sports car stint put Vesti directly into the General Motors motorsport ecosystem, earning him rave reviews from Eric Warren, vice president of motorsport programs at the manufacturer. Far from a panic option, Vesti is a driver the American marque has already evaluated firsthand across its official programmes. His IMSA duties required him to adapt to rigorous engineer collaboration and race management, rounding out a resume that already includes Formula 1 development work.
Behind the scenes, corporate questions surrounding TWG and potential sports transactions are further complicating the boardroom calculus. Yet Bottas remains unfazed, reiterating in Interlagos that board members will make the final call and that he has received no indication his contractual standing has shifted. Right now, Cadillac has not locked down its second driver. Whether it turns out to be the experience of Bottas, the American push for Herta, or an internal promotion for Vesti, the garage is facing a fascinating dilemma.
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