Speaking to Viaplay, Bottas revealed that newly-appointed Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore made the first move, initially reaching out through Toto Wolff.
Smart play, Flavio. When you want quality, you go through the right channels.
Alpine’s Driver Carousel Desperately Needs Stability
Let’s be brutally honest about Alpine’s current situation. They’ve been throwing drivers at their second seat like darts at a board – Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto both got their shots alongside Pierre Gasly.
The result? Neither could avoid crash and be consistent.
Bottas sees right through this experimental phase nonsense. “Would a short stint somewhere help in any way?” he questioned, cutting straight to the heart of Alpine’s problem. The team needs solutions, not more guinea pigs.
- Alpine has struggled with driver consistency in their second seat
- Both Doohan and Colapinto failed to extract performance from the package
- Briatore recognizes the need for experienced hands over fresh experiments
- Bottas offers proven F1 experience and technical feedback capabilities
The Finnish Veteran’s Long-Term Championship Vision
Here’s where Bottas shows he’s no desperate has-been grabbing at scraps. His focus remains laser-sharp on 2026 and beyond – exactly when F1’s new regulations could shuffle the competitive deck completely. That’s championship-caliber thinking right there.
“My main focus is completely on 2026 onwards, and what’s the best option from there. What’s the most interesting project and of course I want to be competitive,” Bottas explained with the clarity of someone who knows his worth.
Ready to Race at a Moment’s Notice
Don’t mistake long-term planning for lack of immediate readiness. Bottas made it crystal clear he’s prepared to jump into action whenever opportunity knocks. “I’m ready to jump into the car at any stage. The skills don’t disappear anywhere and I’ve been able to test,” he declared with trademark Finnish confidence.
The man’s been keeping his racing reflexes sharp through testing sessions, with more scheduled throughout the summer. When the call comes – and it probably will – Bottas won’t need a warming-up period.
Cadillac Enters the Bottas Bidding War
Plot twist incoming. Alpine isn’t the only team eyeing Bottas’s services for the upcoming seasons. Cadillac’s F1 entry has reportedly joined the conversation, and frankly, they’d be crazy not to pursue someone with Bottas’s pedigree.
A new team entering F1 needs exactly what Bottas offers – proven experience, technical knowledge, and the ability to develop a car without drama. Cadillac understands that starting with a veteran foundation beats gambling on unproven talent when you’re trying to establish credibility.
The Strategic and Monetary Value of Experience
Both Alpine and Cadillac recognize what some teams seem to forget: experienced drivers don’t just drive fast, they build teams. Bottas brings years of Mercedes-level professionalism and the kind of technical feedback that turns decent cars into competitive machines.
Somewhere, a PR manager just had a minor stroke thinking about how refreshingly straightforward these negotiations sound compared to the usual F1 driver market chaos. Bottas isn’t playing games – he’s positioning himself for maximum impact when the 2026 regulations reset everyone’s championship hopes.
The competition for Bottas’s signature is heating up, and honestly? Good for him. After years of playing second fiddle at Mercedes, the Finnish veteran deserves teams fighting over his services rather than the other way around.
