Valtteri Bottas Teases Fans With Potential Hint Of Next Formula 1 Move

Saajan Jogia | Aug 14, 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 dropped a big hint about his F1 future on his social media accounts, posing alongside a white Audi R8 in California with his #77 racing decal pasted on the car's carbon fiber side panel.

With ten races remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, Bottas has yet to secure his future in the sport beyond this year. Although he appears calm about his prospects, the availability of just four open seats—three of which are likely reserved for other drivers, suggests that his chances of continuing in F1 are diminishing with each passing day.

While the season started with the same driver lineup as last year for all ten F1 teams, Lewis Hamilton's announcement of his Ferrari switch in February, scheduled for 2025, sent the driver market into a tizzy. After all, nearly half of the sport's drivers have their current contracts expiring after the 2024 season.

The market gained considerable traction in the last two months, which witnessed significant announcements for the upcoming season. Bottas, who sits at the bottom of the Drivers' Standings with zero points to his name thus far, not only has points to score but also secure a seat with one of the teams.

An open seat at Mercedes alongside George Russell is widely expected to be filled by F2 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while the spot alongside Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB (RB) might go to either Daniel Ricciardo or Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, according to Helmut Marko's recent comments. This leaves Bottas with potential opportunities at Alpine, where the team is reportedly weighing options between Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan. Lastly, one seat remains to be filled in his current team, Sauber.

The Hinwil outfit is in the midst of a significant transformation ahead of its 2026 takeover by Audi. Although the team has already secured Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg for a seat starting in 2025, the second seat remains available, offering Bottas a crucial opportunity to secure his future in Formula 1.

However, Bottas' recent post on social media has reignited speculation, suggesting that the Finn may have already secured a contract extension with Sauber/Audi for the upcoming season.

Fun day in California 🇺🇸

More to come eventually about our secret mission with @Hyland #VB77 @stakef1team_ks pic.twitter.com/rz1WenKeDu

— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) August 14, 2024

The 10-time Grand Prix winner has expressed his desire for a Sauber seat. However, his discussions with the team were "reset" following the recent signing of former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as the new chief operating and chief technical officer. Bottas recently told the media:

“It is going to reset a bit the talks, because we have previously been in communication with Andreas and Oliver, and now it’s Mattia.

“So yeah, for sure that will change some things, so we need to… We need to speak. It’s a bit of a complicated situation, but let’s see.”