Valtteri Bottas finds his back against the wall as he works to stay in F1
“I’m confident I’m going to get a seat.” These were the words of Valtteri Bottas earlier in the year, as driver market speculation reached its height. In the months since then, the dominos have slowly started to fall – and they do not bode well for Bottas. Whilst still in contention for a contract, the Finn’s options are increasingly limited.
Less than a month ago, there were a handful of teams linked with the former Mercedes driver.
Williams were a plausible destination for Bottas, especially as their chances of acquiring Carlos Sainz seemingly diminished.
Meanwhile, there were tentative suggestions that Bruno Famin’s Alpine were considering the Finn.
As a 10-time race winner with a proven track record, the consensus was that Bottas could easily find another seat in F1.
However, this prevailing assumption is now being tested.
Options running out for Bottas
Recent developments in the driver market have not been especially encouraging for Bottas.
Haas and Williams have both finalised their driver line-ups for 2025. With a return to a front-running team off the table, the 34-year-old’s pool of realistic destinations is shrinking.
Alpine and Sauber are the only teams (excluding Mercedes and the ever-unpredictable Red Bull) yet to confirm their drivers.
As it stands, Bottas is not the front-runner to join the French team.
Jack Doohan, reserve driver for the Enstone-based operation, is the favourite to join Alpine.
An announcement is expected relatively soon, which would eliminate another option for Bottas.
This would leave Sauber, his current team, as the final lifeline.
Sauber could be last lifeline
In the early months of 2024, the likelihood of Bottas staying at Hinwil was low.
Though signing Audi-approved Nico Hulkenberg so early was a very shrewd move, it confirmed the team’s reluctance to commit to Valtteri Bottas.
Bottas speaks often about the importance of having a multi-year contract and the stability it provides.
Because of this, Sauber’s reluctance to offer him a deal makes them a sub-optimal option.
With that said, the 10-time winner does not have the luxury of pursuing the ideal scenario.
The doors for next year are quickly closing, so regardless of how attractive the room is inside, Bottas must find a way.
Luckily for Bottas, Sauber have failed to sign their ideal targets.
Carlos Sainz, their well-established priority, decided against joining them – instead opting for Williams.
Esteban Ocon, who is also understood to have been a target for Audi, chose to sign for Haas.
In this context, the drivers available to the Hinwil-based team are limited – and they may struggle to find a free agent of a higher calibre than Bottas.
