Valtteri Bottas is today testing for McLaren at a behind-closed-doors track session in Barcelona. The Finn will take to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the MCL60 used by the team in the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Under Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rules, teams are allowed a limited amount of track time which gives drivers the opportunity to familiarise with their machinery. But the fact Bottas is taking one of McLaren’s old cars for a spin is not an indication that the 10-time F1 race winner is about to make a surprise switch.
McLaren remain an engine customer of Mercedes and also have the ability to dip into the Silver Arrows’ pool of available reserve drivers. That includes Bottas, who returned to his old team over the winter after losing his place on the grid.
So if one of Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri were forced to miss a race for whatever reason this season, they could call up Bottas to drive in their stead. And this test is in preparation for that potential outcome, so the Finn can familiarise himself with their machinery and operations.
Bottas is also a reserve for another of his former teams, Williams. However, as it stands, there are no plans for the 35-year-old to test with the outfit he left at the end of the 2016 season when approached by Mercedes to replace Nico Rosberg, who retired promptly after becoming F1 champion.
Aston Martin are also a Mercedes engine customer until the end of this season, when that partnership ends and the Silverstone-based team begins a new era with Honda power units. They also do not use Mercedes’ pool of drivers, having their own reserves in Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich and former McLaren racer Stoffel Vandoorne.
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Bottas is expected to be present at all 24 races this season which is not usual for a reserve driver. However, because he could potentially be called upon to race for any one of three different teams, the Finn wants to maximise his chances of being given a surprise chance to race this year.
His ultimate aim is to get himself back on the grid in 2026 having lost his place last year. He was axed by Sauber because parent company Audi wanted to install its own driver pairing before the outfit becomes its works team next year.
He has been linked with the new Cadillac project, which will result in the sport adding an 11th team to the grid in 2026. The American outfit wants to pair an experienced F1 racer with a more junior up-and-comer and Bottas would certainly tick all the boxes in their search for the former.
He has started 264 Grands Prix over his F1 career having made his debut in 2013 with Williams. He latest spent five seasons as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, where he won 10 races himself and never failed to win the constructors’ championship.
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