Valtteri Bottas remains the favourite to keep his Cadillac seat for 2027, but the team has not made a final decision and Colton Herta is still firmly in contention if Bottas does not stay.
Bottas returned to the grid with Cadillac this season on a multi-year deal after spending a year as Mercedes' third driver. Cadillac has already announced that Sergio Perez will continue with the team in 2027, but it has not yet committed to triggering the option that would keep Bottas in place.
Why Bottas still has the edge
The case for Bottas is straightforward. He has experience, he is already embedded in the project, and he remains the most established option for a team that is still shaping its long-term Formula 1 driver line-up. Bottas said he feels “pretty confident” about his position, although Cadillac is still weighing its options.
That evaluation is about more than one driver. Cadillac is assessing whether to stick with an all-experience strategy or change the balance in its second seat. The team has said it wants to run an American driver at some stage, but it has also made clear that any signing must be merit-based.
Herta is still in the frame
Herta has done enough to stay on the radar. He drove in four FP1 sessions for Cadillac this season and impressed the team, which is why he remains the leading alternative if Bottas does not retain the seat for 2027.
There is still one more step for Herta as well. Sources say he will be in the car for first practice in Mexico, where he will try to secure his final super licence point. That matters because it keeps the path open to a full-time F1 opportunity.
Bottas' recent race in Austin also showed how quickly circumstances can change. He retired with a suspected power unit issue, a reminder that Cadillac is still dealing with the kind of ups and downs that come with building a competitive Formula 1 operation.
For now, Bottas still looks like the man to beat for the 2027 seat. But with Cadillac keeping its options open, and Herta continuing to build his case, the final call is still very much alive.
