F1 News: Valterri Bottas Confirms Future At Alfa Romeo - "Flat Out"

Valterri Bottas reveals his long-term plan with Alfa Romeo that is all set for an Audi takeover.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Valterri Bottas signed a two plus one-year contract with Alfa Romeo that expires at the end of the 2024 season. As the team looks forward to an Audi takeover in 2026 when the German brand officially enters Formula 1, it has given the Finnish racing driver another reason to stay despite the struggles. 

Speaking of struggles, Alfa Romeo has slipped to ninth place in the Constructors' Championship. Bottas hadn't thought of a distant future about his plans to move on from the team after taking into account the way they were performing but now though, he reveals that it would be positive for him to stay with the team as they enter the 'Audi era'.

When asked if he was willing to remain on board until 2026, he said to Autosport:

“The more I think about it, yes. For me, it's an interesting era for the team.

"When you are focused on the here and now, you don’t want to sometimes think too far ahead – but then if I really think about it, and the long-term plan, then it would make sense.

"And for me, it would be really motivating to be part of it. Let's see, it is still a while away. I'm sure eventually we will have some discussions, but not yet.”

There had been reports that Alfa Romeo has sunk into a comfort zone and it awaits Audi's entry in 2026 to rescue them. The sinking in is reflected in their current performance. On the contrary, Bottas insists that in the team, "everyone is flat out, everyone is pushing" their best to climb the ranks regardless of Audi's entry in 2026. He said:

“Looking from the outside, it could look that way, that people are just waiting for Audi to come and so on. But it is not the case.

"Everyone is flat out, everyone is pushing. So we're not standing still. It is just that the field is now so competitive and, if you don't start the season quite there, then it's not easy to come back up. So we're pushing, we're not standing still."

There has been no word from Alfa Romeo about Bottas' contract extension. But they've got a driver who is willing to stick around, and that's a good thing!