Valtteri Bottas racks up 112 laps for Mercedes in Mexico City Pirelli test as 2026 prep ramps up
Valtteri Bottas spent a long, hot day reacquainting himself with Mercedes machinery in Mexico City — and reminding everyone he’s not done with F1 yet. The Finn logged 112 laps at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in a Pirelli tyre test, driving a Mercedes mule car as the tyre supplier continues to lock in its 2026 compounds.
It was an old pairing in a new context: Bottas back in silver, not chasing a trophy this time but data. He focused heavily on the new-spec C3 — Pirelli’s workhorse compound — pounding out long runs that added up to more than one-and-a-half race distances at altitude. Mexico’s thin air and traction-limited layout give tyres a unique punishment; if you want to know what a construction is made of, you run it here until the numbers stop moving.
The 2026 tyres will keep the current 18-inch rims, but Pirelli’s going narrower: minus 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear. Less footprint, different load profiles, and a fresh construction philosophy to match the next-gen aero and power unit package. All season long, teams have been sharing mule mileage to help Pirelli triangulate on the final spec — and this was Mercedes’ turn to play chief lab partner.
Bottas wasn’t alone in the garage. Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti handled multiple 10-lap stints and banked 49 laps of his own, broadening the data set on a day where consistency mattered more than a stopwatch. No official times were released, nor were they the point.
For Bottas, the homework serves another purpose: keeping sharp before his planned F1 return with Cadillac in 2026. After being left without a race seat for 2025, he slid into a reserve role with his former team this year and has quietly been busy. There was a behind-closed-doors McLaren outing back in March, then a private Mercedes run at Jerez in July. Mexico City is the latest box ticked — and perhaps his last Mercedes laps for a while. The team hasn’t confirmed whether he’ll be given more mileage before the year is out.
It’s a decent way to spend a sabbatical: lots of laps, low noise, high usefulness. And with Bottas set to partner Sergio Perez at Formula 1’s newest entrant in 2026, every kilometer in contemporary kit — even disguised mule cars — is a handy reset after a year off the grid.
For Pirelli, the message is simple: more laps, more confidence. The Italian supplier’s 2026 brief is complicated by a shifting technical landscape and the mandate to keep racing close without excessive degradation. Shrinking the tyres while preserving thermal stability will challenge everyone, but days like this move the ball forward. The C3 will remain the centerpiece of the range, so validating its behavior across tracks as extreme as Mexico matters.
There’s one more official chance to scribble in the notebook before the books close for the year. The final Pirelli test of 2025 will run in Abu Dhabi on December 9, two days after the season finale, offering a last sweep of data with the paddock already packed and the lights still warm.
Whether Bottas is in that car or not, this Mexico run was a timely reminder of what he does best: build rhythm, stay out of trouble, and deliver clean, bankable feedback. It’s not glamorous, but for a comeback in the making, it’s exactly the kind of day that makes the next one count.
