Lewis Hamilton finally discloses verdict on Valtteri Bottas Cadillac F1 move

Lewis Hamilton has shared his thoughts on Valtteri Bottas joining Cadillac for the American squad's debut F1 season.

The General Motors-backed operation will embark on its maiden voyage in 2026, signing up the experienced pair of Bottas and Sergio Perez to provide a strong platform to build from.

However, when asked at the recent Dutch Grand Prix for his view on his former Mercedes team-mate returning to the grid, the 40-year-old refused to get too drawn in.

"It's not something I really want to get too heavily involved in," he told media, including RacingNews365. "But I'm really happy for Valtteri. He's a good friend and really deserves to be back. I know he's got plenty of experience that he'll be able to bring to a new team."

But following the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton has told Formula 1 he believes Cadillac has "chosen the right guys" to form their first driver pairing, admitting he misses working with Bottas.

"I don’t need to say anything about his talent because he’s shown that throughout his career," the seven-time F1 drivers' champion said.

"But [they’re] getting one of the most honest, probably the funniest, Finns I would imagine, and just the most genuine person to work with. I miss working with him.

"I think they’ve chosen the right guys. Obviously, we’ll see with Sergio as well; he’s got great experience. That knowledge that they both bring from two great teams will help them progress faster."

Red Bull and Mercedes

When pushed to elaborate on whether he feels it is good for F1, Hamilton compared the situation at Mercedes and Red Bull - coincidentally Bottas and Perez's former teams, respectively - to illustrate his point.

Between them, the pair has 527 grand prix starts and 16 victories, underlining their combined experience, having lost their seats at the end of 2024, whilst six full-time rookies came onto the grid for the current campaign.

"I think so. I think we have a good mix on the grid," the 105-time grand prix winner said in favour of balance.

"I think it’s amazing to have an extra team, and I think for a team to be able to develop, you have to have drivers who have experience, especially when it’s a brand new team.

"You’ve got two different flavours coming from Red Bull and Mercedes with different knowledge and experience that they’ll both be able to put into the pot and help the team move forward faster."