Valtteri Bottas confirms his management have held ‘discussions’ with an F1 team over 2026 seat

Valtteri Bottas reopens talks with Alpine over potential 2026 seat

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Bottas was asked about which teams he’s been linked to for 2026, with Alpine among them.

Bottas explained that he had been in talks with Alpine last year before they chose Jack Doohan to replace Esteban Ocon.

Doohan struggled and was demoted after six races, with Franco Colapinto stepping in under a short-term deal. Colapinto also found it tough, failing to make it out of Q1 and finishing no higher than 13th.

Meanwhile, change has continued away from the track too. Oliver Oakes recently became the third Alpine team boss to depart within a span of two years, adding to their reputation as F1’s most chaotic team.

“There probably have been some discussions,” Bottas said when asked about Alpine. “I haven’t really been involved. But I do have a management team always [working] in the background, seeing what is out there.

“They do have a Mercedes power unit for the future, which I think is a good call. They’re on their second driver [line-up] this year, and I think the next races will show how that goes. Experience can always help.

“But there’s lots of politics in this sport. I don’t have tens of millions to pay for a seat, for example.”

When asked whether he’d spoken with Alpine before Jack Doohan’s signing, Bottas replied: “Yes. I spoke earlier on last year to quite a few teams, because I was going to the end of my contract.”

Cadillac could look past Valtteri Bottas for F1 debut

Perez has also been linked with Alpine and offers enormous commercial incentives. As Bottas hinted, this could be a difference-maker for Flavio Briatore.

If Alpine does decide to hire Perez, that could open up an option for Bottas at Cadillac, who will be joining the grid in 2026, giving him another path back into a race seat.

However, it’s been said that Cadillac may prefer Mick Schumacher over Bottas. Schumacher, currently racing in the World Endurance Championship, has long been on their radar.

The two Red Bull teams may have openings for 2026 as well, but Helmut Marko reportedly isn’t interested in bringing Bottas in. With a Mercedes return also unlikely, Bottas may need to focus his efforts on opportunities with Alpine and Cadillac.