EXCLUSIVE: The truth about Valtteri Bottas’s viral Cadillac teaser video

Valtteri Bottas has explained his thinking behind the viral social media video teasing his move to Cadillac before the deal was announced.

The 36-year-old Finn has secured a full-time return to F1 next season with the new Cadillac team, where he will partner with fellow multiple-time grand prix winner Sergio Perez.

Cadillac made the announcement in August but Bottas had been tipped as a leading candidate for the team much earlier in the year.

Bottas played to the rumours and caused something of a stir on social media when he posted an intriguing video back in June.

The video showed Bottas coming across a Cadillac SUV on the street, before he says: “That’s actually a nice seat, I wouldn’t mind.” It is then pointed out to Bottas that there are “two seats”, which he notes are “both free.”

When invited to sit in it by a voice off-camera, Bottas replies: “Not yet.”

In an exclusive interview with Crash.net at the Singapore Grand Prix, Bottas said that the purpose of the teaser video was to “make people talk”.

Bottas also revealed he signed his contract with Cadillac in July, and did so before Perez.

“That post in June was just to stir the pot basically and make people talk, which was good. I think it probably woke them up as well,” Bottas said.

“In the end, I ended up signing later in July. Earlier this year, I made it my priority to get that seat and I wanted to go there and they seemed to really want me. So it was actually really straightforward.

“When they were ready to start signing drivers, I was the first one to get it done, which is also a good feeling for me that they have respect for me and what I can bring to the team.”

Why Alpine were ‘never a serious option’

Bottas also emerged as a possible candidate for a surprise switch to Alpine, either in 2025 or 2026, as a replacement for Franco Colapinto.

But aside from holding some brief exploratory talks, Alpine were never a “serious option” for Bottas, who always had his eyes set on Cadillac.

“It never was a serious option because for me, clearly, the target was Cadillac,” he explained.

“But of course, we had discussions and even some small discussions about next year because I learned last year that until you're signed, nothing is confirmed in this sport.

“So I had to look at all the opportunities. But again, I had my priority pretty clear early on this year and I kept that target and I’m glad it worked out.”