Valtteri Bottas Spotted at Williams’ Motorhome Amidst Rumors of Him Leaving Sauber

Amid the driver movement, Valtteri Bottas is one of the racers with no certainty of a seat in 2025. Sauber, his current team, confirmed the signing of Nico Hulkenberg for next year. It is also no secret that the Swiss team is looking to lock down Carlos Sainz before the Audi rebranding. With that, Bottas is also making his best attempts to find a new team.

The recent development suggests a possible move to Williams. As per Autosport, the Finnish driver recently visited the Williams motorhome at the Imola circuit.

There, he reportedly met team principal James Vowles, who was the chief strategist at Mercedes when Bottas still drove for the Silver Arrows. If the move goes through, it would be Bottas’ second stint with the Grove-based outfit. He drove for them before moving to Mercedes in 2017.

The 10-time race winner, however, is keen on landing a seat on a team that showcases a strong potential for growth. While he may not be after immediate success, he certainly wouldn’t mind driving a fast car. His only priority is to secure a long-term contract with a team to have job security for the years ahead.

At 34 years of age, he has proven to be a handy performer by consistently outperforming his current teammate Zhou Guanyu. But is that enough for a team to offer him a multi-year deal, knowing he’d turn 35 when he starts driving for them?

The hurdles Valtteri Bottas faces in landing the Williams seat

Despite an abysmal rookie year in 2023, Williams rested its faith in Logan Sargeant for another season. Until now, the decision does not seem to have proven to be worth the gamble. That could perhaps open the doors for Valtteri Bottas.

However, the nine-time world champions could pick Andrea Kimi Antonelli to warm him up for a season to help their engine partners Mercedes, who see the Italian as a long-term replacement for the outgoing Lewis Hamilton. That ruins Bottas’ plans who plans on landing a seat in 2025 and staying there for long.

Speaking during the media day at Imola, Bottas said, “I need a long-term project. With clear goals, and with respect for what I can do and deliver. That’s really the main thing. Obviously, the faster the car the better. But the main thing is to have that security for years ahead, but we can work together for the goals that we set.”

The Finn would have to keep all his options on the table and not hedge his bets on Williams alone. With Alex Albon signing a long-term deal recently, the chances of a second homecoming for Bottas look slim. Now, it will be interesting to see what path James Vowles takes.