By Chris Perkins, Writer and Editor, GM News
By Chris Perkins, writer and editor, GM News
When you start a new job, there’s a lot you can expect. Training, meeting with colleagues, having a seat custom molded for you, strapping into a state-of-the-art race-car simulator. Well, maybe not the last two, unless your name is Valtteri Bottas.
The 36-year-old Finnish driver is getting down to business with the Cadillac Formula 1® team ahead of its debut next March at the Australian Grand Prix. Alongside teammate Sergio Perez, Bottas will pilot the first Grand Prix car ever by an American automaker. In preparation, Bottas made a visit to North Carolina to meet the team, and to run some virtual laps in the driver-in-loop (DIL) simulator.
“The simulator session was to run Valtteri through a lot of the work we’ve been doing throughout the last couple years and getting him up to speed with how car development is coming,” Matt Borland, Senior Manager of Vehicle Systems at GM Motorsports, tells GM News. “He did a great job and provided really good feedback to the team.”
Virtual development is critical in Formula 1®. There are significant restrictions on how much real-world testing the teams can do, so tools like the DIL play an important role in optimizing car and team performance.
“Bottas was immediately impressed with our simulator, and after we made some adjustments to the model, he felt it was very close to reality,” Borland says.
With his virtual test session, Bottas can help influence the development of the car, and help develop his relationship with the team.
Bottas’ experience – 246 race starts, 67 podiums, 20 pole positions, and 10 wins – is invaluable. “To have somebody like that to lean on, to bounce things off, to keep the team well-footed, is key,” Borland says. “There are a lot of unknowns, and having somebody that's grounded well will help a lot.”
It’s not just experience that Bottas brings to the table. “He fits in well. He’s very knowledgeable, but also a very friendly person,” Borland says. “Everyone got along well, and it should be good fun working together.”
The 2025 Formula 1® season just wrapped up, but in less than two months' time, the grid will reconvene in Barcelona, followed by Bahrain, for pre-season testing. A couple weeks later, the green flag will wave at Albert Park in Melbourne, and the 2026 Formula 1® season will be underway. For Borland and many of his colleagues, it’ll be the culmination of a monumental task.
“There are a lot of people at GM that have really been working flat-out on this program for the last couple of years, and everyone at CF1® that’s taken a gamble on whether this was even possible,” Borland says. “It’s a reflection of everyone’s hard work.”
Bottas himself saw that. “Seeing everything coming together for the first time as a brand-new team is special, and makes you realize the momentum of the project,” he says. “It’s important to get the preparation right as these moments really are the first steps to getting us ready for the first test. I can’t wait to get the season started and go racing once again.”
When you start a new job, there’s a lot you can expect. Training, meeting with colleagues, having a seat custom molded for you, strapping into a state-of-the-art race-car simulator. Well, maybe not the last two, unless your name is Valtteri Bottas.
The 36-year-old Finnish driver is getting down to business with the Cadillac Formula 1® team ahead of its debut next March at the Australian Grand Prix. Alongside teammate Sergio Perez, Bottas will pilot the first Grand Prix car ever by an American automaker. In preparation, Bottas made a visit to North Carolina to meet the team, and to run some virtual laps in the driver-in-loop (DIL) simulator.
“The simulator session was to run Valtteri through a lot of the work we’ve been doing throughout the last couple years and getting him up to speed with how car development is coming,” Matt Borland, Senior Manager of Vehicle Systems at GM Motorsports, tells GM News. “He did a great job and provided really good feedback to the team.”
Virtual development is critical in Formula 1®. There are significant restrictions on how much real-world testing the teams can do, so tools like the DIL play an important role in optimizing car and team performance.
“Bottas was immediately impressed with our simulator, and after we made some adjustments to the model, he felt it was very close to reality,” Borland says.
With his virtual test session, Bottas can help influence the development of the car, and help develop his relationship with the team.
Bottas’ experience – 246 race starts, 67 podiums, 20 pole positions, and 10 wins – is invaluable. “To have somebody like that to lean on, to bounce things off, to keep the team well-footed, is key,” Borland says. “There are a lot of unknowns, and having somebody that's grounded well will help a lot.”
It’s not just experience that Bottas brings to the table. “He fits in well. He’s very knowledgeable, but also a very friendly person,” Borland says. “Everyone got along well, and it should be good fun working together.”
The 2025 Formula 1® season just wrapped up, but in less than two months' time, the grid will reconvene in Barcelona, followed by Bahrain, for pre-season testing. A couple weeks later, the green flag will wave at Albert Park in Melbourne, and the 2026 Formula 1® season will be underway. For Borland and many of his colleagues, it’ll be the culmination of a monumental task.
“There are a lot of people at GM that have really been working flat-out on this program for the last couple of years, and everyone at CF1® that’s taken a gamble on whether this was even possible,” Borland says. “It’s a reflection of everyone’s hard work.”
Bottas himself saw that. “Seeing everything coming together for the first time as a brand-new team is special, and makes you realize the momentum of the project,” he says. “It’s important to get the preparation right as these moments really are the first steps to getting us ready for the first test. I can’t wait to get the season started and go racing once again.”