Sauber Speaks On Valtteri Bottas's Chances For 2025 Contract

Chris Ladd | Sep 15, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas (77) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Valtteri Bottas is in a strong position to retain a seat at Audi, as Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Sauber's team representative, mentioned that the Finnish driver remains "top of the list" for 2025. Nico Hülkenberg is already confirmed for Sauber's final season before Audi's full takeover in 2026, but the search for his teammate continues, according to a report by Motorsport.

Bottas, who joined Sauber (then branded Alfa Romeo) in 2022 after a successful stint with Mercedes where he won 10 Grands Prix, faces competition from Formula 2 title contender Gabriel Bortoleto. If Sauber opts for a young driver, Bortoleto could partner Hülkenberg, signaling a shift toward fresh talent.

The final decision lies with Mattia Binotto, Audi's new chief operating and technical officer. However, Bravi's comments ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix suggest that Bottas is still highly regarded, keeping his prospects alive for 2025.

"I think this is the current assessment that Mattia is doing. He just started two weeks ago, so we have said already in Monza that he's taking charge of all the dossiers and the drivers are of course one of the most important ones," Bravi replied when asked about the driver search.

"We are evaluating all the options to see which is the best balance between a short-term experience and medium, long-term, maybe young talent. There are potential candidates on both sides. Valtteri is a strong driver for our team. We know him very well.

"He has been with the team already for three years, and of course he's one on top of our list. But there are other opportunities. We are just looking at all the pros and cons, and Mattia will take a decision based not only on 2025, but also the medium-long-term strategy for the Audi F1 project."

Before Bravi was questioned on the matter, Bottas expressed optimism about retaining his seat for the following year, despite criticizing this season's Sauber's pace, which has not scored any points with either him or his teammate.

"Still, still talking. Progressing. And I'm still positive, but…I shouldn't really say much," he said. "So that's where we are. But yeah, there's obviously many, many things to discuss. Both parties need to be happy, but I think we're in the right direction.

"This sport is unfair. I've seen that many times, I've been in a difficult situation thanks to the performance of the of the car. But, thank God, Mattia knows what he can get from me, so that's a good thing for me," Bottas added. "And hopefully be here next year, and the car will be a bit better and I can show a bit more."

Bottas might not have to wait long to find out if his F1 career will continue into 2025 as Bravi said a decision could come in "a matter of the next weeks".

He mentioned that the team would not take an "opportunistic" approach, and the availability of the second Sauber seat as the sole remaining slot for the following year provides them with the opportunity to carefully consider their options.