Following an unusual spell as a second tier operator, Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas is said to be finalizing a deal to return to Formula 1 with Cadillac in 2026, multiple news outlets in Europe reported Friday.

Bottas, who is currently a reserve driver at Mercedes, added fuel to the speculation with a cheeky video posted to his X feed last weekend before the rumour mill went on overdrive. In it, he opens the door of a Cadillac SUV and has a conversation with someone off camera.

"Oh wow, that's actually a nice seat," Bottas says while checking out the driver's seat. "I wouldn't mind."

"And there's two seats," the other man points out, prompting this reply from Bottas: "And they're both free?"

But when the other voice asks if he wants to sit down, Bottas answers, "Not yet."

Cadillac is entering the championship series next season.

Bottas, 35, has made no secret of his desire to regain a fulltime F1 seat since being dropped by Sauber at the end of the 2024 season.

Bottas has 10 career wins and 67 podium finishes in nearly 250 starts since 2013 with Sauber, Mercedes, Williams and Alfa Romeo. His last win came at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.

This weekend, the Austrian Grand Prix takes centre stage at the Red Bull Ring as the season progresses.