Fresh reports coming out on Wednesday [Aug 20] have suggested that Cadillac have struck a deal to sign former Mercedes F1 driver Valtteri Bottas for the 2026 season, with an announcement imminent within the next week. The Finnish driver has long been linked to the newest team on the F1 grid, with the move now looking closer than ever.Ever since Cadillac were confirmed to be on the F1 grid from 2026 onwards, Valtteri Bottas' name has been suggested as a potential driver for the American team. The 35-year-old has most recently driven for Sauber and is currently a reserve driver at Mercedes.RacingNews365 has now reported that Cadillac have indeed finalised the signing of Bottas as their first driver for the 2026 season, with an official announcement likely next week. These reports remain unconfirmed from an official source at the time of writing.During the course of the ongoing season, Bottas has made it abundantly clear that his main priority remains returning to the F1 grid in 2026. Cadillac have also reportedly looked to sign a driver with tons of experience, making the fit between the two parties almost obvious.Bottas has been around in F1 for a while now, having made his debut in 2013 with Williams. He then moved to Mercedes in 2017 to replace the retiring world champion Nico Rosberg.The Finn claimed 10 race wins and 20 pole positions during his stint at the Silver Arrows, which was spent largely playing second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton. He then moved to Sauber in 2022 (Alfa Romeo at the time), before he was let go at the end of 2024.Valtteri Bottas had previously teased a move to Cadillac in JuneValtteri Bottas at the Grand Prix of Hungary - Previews - Source: GettyEarlier in June, Valtteri Bottas also teased fans via a social media post in which he could be seen opening the doors of a Cadillac road car. He also joked about how the car had a "nice seat" and that two of them were empty.The former Williams driver also said "not yet" when asked if he wanted to sit in the seat to conclude the hilarious video."Do we like this seat?," he captioned the video.It has now become increasingly likely that Bottas will be driving for the sport's newest team come 2026 as the team begin their F1 journey. The chatter over who will take the second seat remains much more open.Former Red Bull man Sergio Perez has been tipped as a potential candidate for the seat. Many other drivers have also been linked with a move to the newest F1 outfit, including Mick Schumacher, Guanyu Zhou, and Felipe Drugovich.Cadillac is looking to make a big impact already upon its entry on the F1 grid in 2026. Multiple reports have suggested that they have already tapped up employees at numerous teams, after having already announced Graeme Lowdon as the team principal.