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P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Wolff issues statement over 2026 driver departure
Toto Wolff has issued a statement regarding the departure of Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes for the 2026 F1 season. Bottas has been the team’s third and reserve driver, but he will now race full-time for Cadillac alongside Sergio Perez next year. Wolff praised Bottas for his contributions and expressed sadness at seeing him leave Mercedes. Bottas will have to serve a five-place grid penalty upon his return to F1 due to an incident in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The move to Cadillac for Bottas was expected, and he will bring valuable experience to the American team in their debut season in F1.
