JUNE 1, 2026

Cadillac boss slams completely false Bottas exit rumours

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has strongly denied rumours that Valtteri Bottas could lose his seat before the end of the season.

Speculation intensified after reports suggested the Finn's future was under threat amid a difficult start to the year and suggestions that reserve driver Colton Herta could replace him - perhaps even imminently.

But Lowdon says the rumours are entirely fabricated.

There is absolutely no basis, no truth whatsoever in these rumours, he said. I can say that categorically.

I will make it very, very clear - they are factually completely false. None of them contain even a shred of truth.

The comments come after reports also linked teammate Sergio Perez with a possible move elsewhere, despite Cadillac being only a handful of races into its debut Formula 1 campaign.

Lowdon said outside observers fail to appreciate the unusual challenge facing Cadillac.

If we look at the work both drivers are doing, they are doing far more than drivers in some teams have to do, he explained. Because we are building the team while we are also racing, and that is a very unusual task.

With all due respect, the outside world does not know what we are asking of these drivers from session to session, race weekend to race weekend, nor what we ask of them in the development of the car.

Lowdon also laughed off suggestions that Herta could be drafted in immediately. Some rumours I've read don't even take into account some of Formula 1's most basic rules, he said.

Some suggest that we would have Valtteri replaced by Colton in the upcoming races, while Colton does not have enough super licence points.

That probably says enough about the quality of some of those rumours.

The Briton stressed that Bottas, Perez and Herta all have important roles within Cadillac's wider programme.

Colton has a program he's working on. Checo has a program with us he's working on, and so does Valtteri, said Lowdon.

"They all contribute in their own way to what we're trying to achieve with building the team.

It is very important to make it absolutely clear that there is not a shred of truth or evidence to any rumours suggesting that either Valtteri's seat is in jeopardy or that Checo might actually move to another team.

Perez, meanwhile, has been linked with potential opportunities elsewhere but insists he remains focused on Cadillac's long-term project.

I'm very happy with my performance, with my driving level, the Mexican said. I'm happy to be back and to have proven to myself that I'm one of the best there is.

However, Perez admitted Cadillac still has significant work to do operationally. Right now I'm impatient with the operational side, he said.

"I think it's something we need to improve, and we're in a big hurry because we're not getting the most out of the results.

I think we are progressing in terms of performance, which is very positive, but operationally we are falling far short, and we really need to find our way heading into the European season.

(GMM)