Valtteri Bottas once again downplayed speculation about his future in Formula 1 and assured that he is not part of the traditional “silly season”, a period marked by driver market rumors before the category’s summer break. During the Belgian GP program, the Finn stated that false headlines are part of F1.
Read more F1: Norris will lose 10 grid positions due to a penalty at the Belgian GP
“It’s part of the sport. Sometimes there are headlines that aren’t true, you know, that’s how it works. And then, especially now with social media, people pick it up very quickly, things can go viral quite fast,” he told the international portal GPBlog.
Bottas said he has never worried about the rumors because he knows his situation within Cadillac and revealed that the team approached him as soon as the speculations arose: “The main thing is that I know what my situation is and the team’s. Immediately when we saw the rumors, the team came to me saying they were completely false. And I also know what my situation is. So that’s why everything is fine. And it’s not new in my career. And every driver, at some point in their career, will go through things like this. So, no ‘silly season’ for me.”
Read more F1: Six questions that the Belgian GP can answer in F1 2026
The rumors started before the Monaco GP, when information emerged that his seat at Cadillac was threatened. At the time, Bottas also denied the speculations and reinforced that he has full support from the team. “It’s part of the sport. It’s not the first time I’ve faced this kind of rumor, but it’s a shame that someone invents complete lies. But that’s normal in this sport. And I know what my situation is, the team knows what my situation is, they support me 100%. So that’s why, on my part, in the end everything was fine.”
In the season, Bottas remains among the four drivers who have yet to score points, alongside teammate Sergio Pérez, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi).
Read more F1: Is the perfect lap at Spa the hardest in Formula 1?
