Valtteri Bottas Claims Mattia Binotto's Audi Arrival Will Drastically Change Contract Talks

Saajan Jogia | Aug 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-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas has disclosed that Mattia Binotto's arrival as CEO and CTO will significantly impact the discussions he's been having regarding the 2025 season. With his current Sauber contract set to expire at the end of the year, Binotto's influence could reshape Bottas' future with the team in a major way.

As Sauber undergoes the transformation to become the Audi Works team in 2026, the former Ferrari team principal replaced Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffman. His hiring was followed by the signing of Red Bull's sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley under a new dual management structure laid out by the German manufacturer.

The team is also focusing on building its new driver lineup, starting with the signing of Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season. The seat alongside him has many drivers linked to it, including Bottas, Mick Schumacher, and Zhou Guanyu.

Bottas, with a wealth of F1 experience since 2013 and 236 Grand Prix races under his belt, brings significant credibility to his prospects. However, Sauber's inability to provide a competitive car has hindered both him and his teammate Zhou from performing at a level that would attract interest from other F1 teams. As a result, the Finn currently finds himself at the bottom of the Drivers' Standings with zero points.

With the exit of Seidl and Hoffman, Bottas believes talks for a contract extension with Binotto will go through a reset, but the situation remains complicated. Speaking to the media, as reported by F1i.com, he said:

“It is going to reset the talks a bit.

"We've previously been in communication with Andreas and Oliver, and now it’s Mattia.

“For sure that will change some things, so we need to speak.

“It’s a bit of a complicated situation, but let’s see.”

With Binotto in charge, it remains to be seen how he perceives the team's current situation and performance in determining the future driver lineup. Emphasizing the need for upgrades to the current title contender, Bottas added:

“Mattia needs to know what are the weaknesses, what are the strengths.

“What are the priorities for short and long-term improvements. And that’s going to take a bit of time.

“It’s been pretty clear that all the decisions in the last year or two have been made to be competitive from ‘26.

"It’s not ideal. For me, unfortunately, many times fighting towards the back end.

"My job is still to do the very best I can.

"And at the same time, push the team and contribute the best I can. That’s all I can do at the moment.

“Obviously some things are internal.

"But we know that compared to the big teams, we’re still lacking a bit of human power.

“There are certain areas that we definitely need to focus on, at the factory but also with the car performance.

“At the moment we're not where we need to be. We needed some new upgrades [to get us going] in the right direction.

“Hopefully from now on, things will be a bit more stable and there’s a clear direction.”