EXCLUSIVE: Valtteri Bottas braced for ‘greatest problem’ of his F1 profession

Valtteri Bottas says becoming a member of the brand new Cadillac crew will characterize the “greatest problem” of his F1 profession.

Bottas, who received 10 races and claimed 20 pole positions for Mercedes when he drove as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate from 2017-2021, will return to the F1 grid on a full-time foundation in 2026 with the brand new Cadillac crew.

The 36-year-old Finn has spent this season on the sidelines as Mercedes’ reserve driver. He made his F1 debut with Williams in 2013 earlier than becoming a member of Mercedes and having a three-season stint with Sauber between 2022-2024.

Talking solely to Crash.web, Bottas acknowledged that becoming a member of a model new crew, at the beginning of one of many greatest regulation overhauls in F1 historical past, might be his greatest take a look at but.

“It in all probability is the most important problem of my profession,” he stated. “There’s a whole lot of work, however as soon as ultimately we get to the targets, it may be actually, actually rewarding. So that is what I am trying ahead to.

“As a driver, being now on this crew, this position, once I really feel like I can really make an enormous distinction on sure issues and the route issues are going to go to sooner or later, that is actually fascinating.

“It’s going to be enjoyable, however it is going to be laborious work.”

Requested what he can take from working with an elite crew like Mercedes to Cadillac, Bottas replied: “I believe I can take quite a bit.

“I believe I can take a whole lot of in the case of easy issues just like the construction of the engineering conferences, the pre-event conferences, the debriefs.

“No matter occurs with radio comms between completely different individuals and completely different departments of the manufacturing unit and all this stuff, I can positively give my enter. In order that’s good.”

What’s the goal for 2026?

Cadillac are getting into F1 with the ambition to win, however the American outfit are ready for a massively difficult debut marketing campaign in 2026.

And with F1 about to enter a model new period of rules, making daring predictions is extraordinarily troublesome.

Bottas hopes Cadillac can “rating some factors” in 12 months one and keep away from being final within the constructors’ championship.

“It is troublesome to foretell,” he admitted. “Once more, with the rule modifications, with the PUs, with the chassis, for everybody, there’s many new issues.

“We have to be lifelike, it’s a new crew. There’s quite a bit to be taught. I believe the primary factor first is to maintain ending the races. We have to get the reliability proper. We have to get the automotive working, get plenty of kilometres, have some type of a place to begin.

“However then the route must be clear that we have to enhance. I’d say if we are able to rating some factors within the first 12 months, I believe that might be already a very good begin for a brand new crew. And take a look at to not be final, I believe that is in all probability an excellent start line.”

Since shedding his Sauber seat on the finish of 2024, Bottas has repeatedly pressured that he has unfinished enterprise in F1.

However what would a profitable return finally appear like?

“I simply need to be a part of a crew that may actually make progress,” he defined. “We are able to present to ourselves and to the world that this crew is critical and we need to make progress and get higher and higher.

“The place to begin might be going to be difficult and difficult. However the place we go from there, if we are able to get to an honest efficiency just a few years forward – that might be a hit, I’d say.

“And yeah, let’s have a look at what the place to begin is after which we go from there.”