Valtteri Bottas likens Cadillac's professional approach to F1 to that of Mercedes.

Confirming the sport's worst kept secret, the Finn returns to the grid next season, along with another long-serving, faithful teammate forced to watch this year's action from the sidelines.

However, the Finn was retained by Mercedes as a reserve driver and also mentor to youngster Kimi Antonelli.

While many have strong doubts about his new team, a situation not helped by some of the less than impressive personnel that have signed up, the fact that it will use Ferrari customer engines for the first couple of years and that the team will be spread across three facilities on different continents, the Finn likens the project to his former outfit.

"I've had the honour of working with some of the best teams in the world, and I can already see the same professionalism and hunger here," he said. "This is an iconic brand with a big legacy in American motor sport, and to be a part of the story as it enters the world stage of F1 is incredibly special for me.

"I'm looking forward to representing the American spirit of racing on the greatest circuits in the world," he added. "I'd also like to thank Mercedes for their unwavering support and sportsmanship in facilitating such an exciting step.

"From the moment I began speaking with the team, I felt something different, something ambitious but also grounded," he insisted.

"This isn't just a racing project," he added, "it's a long-term vision. It's not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid."