Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish driver, has denied that not renewing his contract with Sauber will mark the end of his Formula 1 career. He believes that there are other opportunities available for him in the upcoming season. Bottas joined the team when it was known as Alfa Romeo in 2022 and is now in the final year of his contract as Sauber transitions into Audi. Despite the signing of Nico Hulkenberg and the potential interest in Carlos Sainz, Bottas remains hopeful that he can secure a drive elsewhere in F1. He stated that talks have already begun and he expects things to progress in the coming weeks.
Hulkenberg’s departure from Sauber opens up a spot at Haas, and it is rumored that Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman is the frontrunner for the position. Bearman impressed during his F1 debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With Bearman likely to join Haas, Kevin Magnussen is expected to stay on as the team’s experienced driver.
Another possible destination for Bottas is a return to Williams, the team he initially entered F1 with in 2013. Bottas achieved nine podium finishes during his time with Williams before leaving to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017. Williams, under the leadership of James Vowles, recorded their best finish in the Constructors’ Championship with a seventh-place result. Vowles previously worked with Bottas at Mercedes and Williams may be considering him as a replacement for Logan Sargeant.
Sargeant, an American driver, has struggled in his sophomore season and will face pressure to perform well at his home race in Miami. He missed a race in Australia due to a difficult start to the season.