Valtteri Bottas, an ever-present figure in the F1 paddock since 2013, does not have a seat for the upcoming season. Sauber — soon to become Audi — has opted for a new driver pairing (Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto), and no other team on the grid has an opening.
Bottas now faces two options: leave F1 behind and pursue success in other ventures, or remain on the periphery of the sport and hope for a new opportunity. The Finn is likely to choose the latter.
Bottas has spoken about making a return to Mercedes several times since his Sauber exit was confirmed. He achieved a lot of success with the Silver Arrows, winning 10 races and guiding them to five consecutive Constructors’ Championship wins.
Of course, even if he does manage to end up at Brackley once again in Mercedes colors, it cannot be in a full-time race seat. The German team already has a pairing of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli confirmed for 2025, which means that Bottas would only be considered in a reserve role. He has no problem with that.
Bottas: “For me, that’s a solid option. And I’m grateful that they would be willing to give me the role.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) November 25, 2024
“For me, that’s a solid option. And I’m grateful that they would be willing to give me the role,” the 35-year-old said ahead of his penultimate race with Sauber.
Another thing Bottas has in mind is the future. He may not have a place for him next year, but being around Mercedes and the well-connected Toto Wolff could present him with opportunities in F1 in the coming years. “Mercedes is a great team and you can build up a lot of opportunities for the future.”
Bottas confident of his abilities
2024 has been difficult for Bottas. But not because his driving has been bad. Sauber mainly developed a woeful package, that has left them lingering in the bottom of the Championship standings with zero points. With two races to go, the situation looks unlikely to change.
Bottas, however, has insisted that his driving is still top-notch. Sadly, the mechanical limitations of the Sauber C44 have not allowed him to project that, and help him materialize his good performances into favorable results.
BREAKING: Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will leave Kick Sauber at the end of the 2024 season#F1 pic.twitter.com/BnZzXGDd6G
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 6, 2024
Right now, the road back to F1 looks long for the 10-time Grand Prix winner. However, with the sport’s volatility, particularly during the unpredictable silly season, Bottas could find that path opening up sooner than expected.
All he needs to do is stay connected to the sport, and any team with an available slot would likely jump at the chance to bring someone as experienced as him on board.
