Reporting from the paddock after the Singapore GP qualifying, Ted Kravitz gave some insights on Valtteri Bottas’ potential future plans. Despite rumors of the Finn signing a new Sauber contract, the Sky Sports reporter’s sources tell him that Bottas is most certainly headed away from F1 to race in IndyCar.
The Sauber driver is currently negotiating to extend his current contract which expires at the end of 2024. With Audi set to take over in 2026, they have signed Nico Hulkenberg as one of their drivers, leaving just one seat vacant. According to reports, the Swiss team is also looking at rookies like Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto for that seat.
F1 News: Stepping down to IndyCar a good ‘plan B’ for Bottas, says Salo #ValtteriBottas #FormulaOne #USRacingSuit #RHOSLC Valtteri Bottas may need to keep his racing career alive by stepping down to IndyCar for 2025.pic.twitter.com/ur0aKySuGU
— Mitchell Archibald (@MitchellAr81434) September 20, 2024
In such a case, Kravitz is confident Bottas will have to switch discipline and take up an IndyCar seat across the pond. He said during the Ted’s Notebook segment,
“Bottas is looking more like getting a drive in IndyCar, maybe with Logan Sargeant next year, rather than being a Sauber/Audi driver.”
It could be a good move for Bottas, who has been struggling at the back of the grid due to Sauber’s underperformance. The #77 driver has stated he is pushing hard to improve his qualifying and race performances. However, the Swiss team’s car has been dead last in the pecking order, limiting his ability to even score points.
How Sauber has made a confusing situation for Bottas
Feeling no signs of a lackluster performance at any point, Bottas claimed he believes he is driving better than the days gone by. In Singapore as well, the Finn pushed his car as much as he could to qualify higher up the grid. Still, he fell short by almost six-tenths to get through to Q2.
Relatively, his teammate Zhou Guanyu was even slower, over a second away from P15. So, the Sauber car is certainly not helping Bottas’ performance. That may be a different approach from the soon-to-be Audi team to focus on the big 2026 regulations overhaul.
As for their driver lineup situation, the IndyCar rumors are only contradicting and complicating Bottas’ situation. Swiss website Blick reported that the Finn has signed a new contract with the Hinwil-based team despite the rumors about Bortoleto and Colapinto. So, unless Audi and Sauber confirm themselves about their second driver, nothing can be said.
