Valtteri Bottas has shared how Cadillac came to him "immediately" to allay any fears when unfounded speculation about his F1 future gained traction earlier in this season.
The 10-time grand prix winner explained how the fledgling team's management reassured him that the rumours were "completely false", with the suggestion being that reserve driver Colton Herta was being lined up to replace him.
Cadillac also publicly moved to quash those reports, highlighting that the American driver does not yet have an FIA Super Licence and is committed to F2 in pursuit of that.
The speculation was sparked by Bottas' apparent poor form compared to team-mate Sergio Perez, but it has since come to light that he was dealing with a range of power unit and chassis-related problems on his side of the garage.
With that episode and the corresponding jeopardy put to rest, the 36-year-old has been able to rule himself out of F1's impending silly season.
"It's part of the sport," he told media, including RacingNews365. "Sometimes there are some headlines that are not true.
"You know, that's just how it goes. And then, especially now with social media, people pick it up pretty quickly; things can go viral quite quickly.
"But the main thing is, I know the situation. Immediately when we saw the rumours, the team came to me and said, 'These are completely false', and I also know what my situation is, so that's why it's fine.
"It is nothing new in my career, and for every driver at some point, they're going to go through things like this. So no silly season [for me]."
The Finnish driver was, however, quick to praise Herta's contribution to the team, highlighting the diversity of thought the nine-time IndyCar winner offers, given his seldom-charted path to the F1 paddock.
"He's been supporting us from the simulator," Bottas explained. "He's still learning in F2, so he's definitely a good asset to have.
"He's got different views from his past; he comes from a completely different category, a different mindset and views, so that can help us."
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