Valtteri Bottas suffered from yet another reliability issue in the 2026 season, this time at the Dutch GP, as new team Cadillac struggles to get to grips with F1 in general, leaving the Finnish driver frustrated as he has now racked up six DNFs over the first 12 races of the season.
“It was downhill from there” – Bottas explains rear wing issue that caused his DNF at 2026 F1 Dutch GP
When asked in the print media pen after the race in Zandvoort, the Finn clarified that this time it was a hydraulic issue on the rear wing of his MAC-26 that meant he had lost aerodynamic consistency at the rear of the car, as a consequence of a faulty Straight Line Mode on his Cadillac, which meant his race went “downhill” after a promising start on the hard tyres.
Bottas, who sits 22nd in the drivers’ championship, had made it as far as lap 63 of the 72-lap Dutch GP before he was called into the pits as the team identified the issue with his 2026 MAC-26:
“Basically [we had] a hydraulic issue, but that’s affecting the rear wing and how it’s closing,” Bottas explained. “So we did have some issues with it [over the] weekend already, and it hampered us again [in the race], which is a shame.
“The first stint was half decent, [I] could almost keep up with the Williams’, but then it was downhill from there,” he lamented. “The car in the second stint just became really inconsistent, and I think that’s something related to the rear wing not closing properly.”
Bottas is “sure” Cadillac F1 can get on top of reliability issues that have plagued them in 2026 and at Dutch GP
Cadillac had made F1 headlines before the Dutch GP for its management reshuffle involving the arrival of Marcin Budkowski as new team principal in place of Graeme Lowdon – and one of Budkowski’s first priorities was to fix the team’s awful 2026 record when it comes to reliability.
When asked if he expects things to improve under the new leadership, Bottas emphasized that he is “sure” the team can get on top of its current issues – which mainly involve the operation of the brakes and its working window – and also new problems that eventually arise, like the faulty rear wing in Zandvoort:
“I know it’s tough, but we’ve got to go through these issues, we’ve got to fix them,” Bottas said. “In the end everything is new for us, it’s a new team, so it’s another issue that we haven’t really struggled with that much before.
“Now it seems to be hurting us, but I’m sure we can solve it.”
Why Bottas “knew” damp start of 2026 Dutch GP was going to be a “mess” on slick tyres
Bottas is one of the most experienced drivers on the 2026 F1 grid, and the Finn could immediately tell, over the formation lap, that the first few laps of the Dutch GP were going to be a “mess” as they squeezed their way through the wet final sector on slick tyres – which he revealed even drove his strategy decisions in a different direction:
“It was still slightly damp in places, especially the banking, the final corner was still almost wet.
“I kind of knew it was going to be a mess, so that’s why I started with the hard,” he revealed. “I would have stayed out if I was able to save the car, but in the end it was a red flag.
“For sure the warm-up [on hard tyres] was tricky. But, in the end, where I started I had no one behind except my team-mate, so there wasn’t really much to lose.”
When asked if race direction had made the correct choice in allowing the race to go ahead in those conditions, Bottas was adamant that drivers had the choice to start on intermediates if they really wanted to:
“I think it was okay. In the end, it’s everyone’s own tyre choice. But it’s always tricky with slicks and damp patches.”
“Lots of memories” – Why Zandvoort will be missed
Including 2026, Bottas drove in five of the six Dutch GP’s held at Zandvoort since 2021, only missing out the 2025 edition when he was a Mercedes reserve driver.
With the race now off the calendar, the Finn said he has fond memories from the years he’s went there, mentioning the fun track layout and praising the party-like atmosphere that always seemed present at the circuit:
“[I have] lots of memories from the past. It’s a fun track, huge atmosphere all weekend. It’s like a party weekend for everyone, so [it was] good.”
