Valtteri Bottas facing early pressure at Cadillac after tough start to 2026 F1 season

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Just five races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, Valtteri Bottas is reportedly under pressure at Cadillac following a difficult start with the new team.

It is an early point in the season for such questions to be asked. The situation is made more tense by the fact that Cadillac are still finding their feet as a new team on the grid.

The pressure is understandable given Cadillac are yet to score a point and sit 10th in the standings. Sergio Perez is also without a point, so this is not just a Bottas issue.

Valtteri Bottas pressure must be framed around Cadillac’s wider problem​

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo by Alessio Morgese / Stefano Facchin/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Reports have suggested Bottas is already at risk, with Colton Herta’s name mentioned as a possible future option for the team.

But that does not mean a decision has been made. The conversation has started because of the slow start, not because Bottas is solely to blame.

Both drivers have struggled, and that points to deeper issues within the team. The car, strategy, and overall adaptation to F1 all need to be considered.

Cadillac cannot let early frustration become a rushed driver call​

Cadillac signed Bottas and Perez for their experience, hoping they could provide stability and guidance in the team’s early days. That reasoning has not suddenly lost value after just five races.

The right response now is patience. Cadillac need time to find their footing, and changing drivers this early could do more harm than good.

Bottas does need to respond, and the team needs results. But with both drivers without points, it would be premature to pin the blame solely on one.

For now, the real story is not that Cadillac are ready to make a change. It is that their slow start has put every decision under the microscope far sooner than expected.

Read more:

• Lando Norris reunites with Daniel Ricciardo at Indy 500 following Canadian GP woes
• Mick Schumacher earns $50,000 bonus at Indy 500 with Rookie of the Year honour
• James Vowles reveals what stands out about working with Carlos Sainz as Williams struggles

Continue reading...