Valtteri Bottas' F1 future in doubt amid reports Sauber wanted him out ahead of 2024
Valtteri Bottas' future with Sauber looks uncertain given recent reports.
Valtteri Bottas’ future at Sauber is in doubt with suggestions that CEO Andreas Seidl wanted to replace him ahead of the 2024 F1 season.
Bottas’ contract with Sauber runs out at the end of the year, making him one of 12 drivers without a contract for 2025.
The former Mercedes driver has expressed his desire to remain at Sauber ahead of Audi’s takeover in 2026.
However, it appears Bottas isn’t doing enough to convince Audi - or the team’s CEO - to stay with the team.
According to reputable journalist Christian Menath, Sauber is not “100 per cent satisfied” with either Bottas or Zhou Guanyu.
“Sauber, relatively disappointing in terms of performance,” he said on the Motorsport Magazin YouTube channel. “Sauber is not 100% satisfied with the two drivers.
“Valtteri Bottas was signed by Fred Vasseur three years ago, not Andreas Seidl who probably would have liked to have been rid of him a year earlier, so I’m pretty sure that there are two cockpits to fill.
“Zhou Guanyu, of course, also brings a lot of money, but perspectively, Sauber will become the Audi works team and a pay driver will no longer be required to play a role at all.”
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg has been heavily linked with a switch to Hinwil.
Sauber reportedly contacted Hulkenberg about a drive for 2024, but he’s signed up at Haas.
According to F1.com, if Sauber don’t want to retain Bottas, he still has “plenty of options”.
Lawrence Barretto wrote: “Where could he land if he doesn’t stay at Sauber? Mercedes have a plethora of options available.
“Should they decide they need an experienced pair of hands and someone they can trust for a shorter-term contract before possibly signing someone long-term, a move for Bottas would be within the realms of possibility.
“Elsewhere, Alpine could do with someone of Bottas’s experience as they look to fight their way up from the bottom of the pecking order.
“A return home to Williams, where Bottas made his debut, could also make sense for both sides as the British team look to accelerate their rebuild. Plenty of options, then, for the man who has more F1 wins than all but three drivers on the grid…”
