Cadillac Team Principal Lowdon Shuts Down Bottas Departure Speculation

Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon has firmly dismissed rumours suggesting that driver Valtteri Bottas could be axed from the team.
Bottas is yet to score a point with Cadillac, though he did achieve the best result in the team’s short history with a 13th-place finish in China.
The Finnish driver is only 3-2 down to team-mate Sergio Perez in both qualifying and race results across the season so far.
Despite holding a contract with Cadillac until the end of 2027, reports have suggested the 10-time grand prix winner could be shown the door.
Bottas, now 36, was previously axed by Sauber back in 2024 before joining Cadillac for their F1 debut.
Lowdon was categorical in his response when asked to address the speculation surrounding his driver’s future at the team.
“That’s actually very easy to do,” Lowdon told media. “I mean, there is no foundation of truth in any of the rumours at all.”
“I’ll make it really, really clear factually, they’re completely incorrect. There’s no basis of truth whatsoever in any of them,” Lowdon added firmly.
Lowdon also acknowledged the unique challenges facing drivers at a newly-formed outfit, stating: “With all due respect, the outside world doesn’t know what we’re asking these drivers to do.”
Reports had suggested that current F2 racer Colton Herta could potentially benefit from any Bottas departure, but an FIA technicality makes this impossible in the near term.
The FIA requires any driver competing in an F1 season to have accumulated 40 superlicence points over a three-year period, which Herta currently does not possess.
In 2026, F2 championship finishes down to eighth place provide enough points to qualify for an F1 superlicence, meaning Herta would need to finish the season in at least eighth position.
Lowdon pointed out the superlicence issue directly, saying some rumours did not even account for the basic rules of Formula 1.
“Some of them suggest they would put Colton in to replace Valtteri in the next few races, or whatever,” Lowdon said, highlighting the fundamental flaw in those reports.
“Colton doesn’t have any [sic, enough] super license points, and to some extent, that probably says it all about the quality of some of the rumours,” he continued.
Lowdon stressed that all three drivers — Bottas, Perez, and Herta — each have their own individual programmes contributing to the development of the Cadillac Formula 1 team.
“It’s very important to make it abundantly clear that there is absolutely not one shred of actual truth or evidence to any of the rumours suggesting that either Valtteri is at risk or indeed that Checo might go to another team,” Lowdon concluded.
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