{"id":22554,"date":"2024-08-01T05:04:13","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T09:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=22554"},"modified":"2024-08-01T05:04:13","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T09:04:13","slug":"valtteri-bottas-is-running-out-of-options-to-stay-in-f1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/08\/01\/valtteri-bottas-is-running-out-of-options-to-stay-in-f1\/","title":{"rendered":"Valtteri Bottas is running out of options to stay in F1"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Valtteri Bottas finds his back against the wall as he works to stay in F1<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;m confident I&#8217;m going to get a seat.&#8221;<\/em> 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 &#8211; and they do not bode well for Bottas. Whilst still in contention for a contract, the Finn&#8217;s options are increasingly limited.<\/p>\n<p>Less than a month ago, there were a handful of teams linked with the former <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/07\/22\/wolff-mercedes-will-benefit-from-cooler-conditions-at-next-race\/\" target=\"_self\">Mercedes<\/a> driver.<\/p>\n<p>Williams were a plausible destination for Bottas, especially as their chances of acquiring <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/07\/24\/carlos-sainz-audi-and-alpine-compete-for-his-services\/\" target=\"_self\">Carlos Sainz<\/a> seemingly diminished.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, there were tentative suggestions that Bruno Famin&#8217;s Alpine were considering the Finn.<\/p>\n<p>As a 10-time race winner with a proven track record, the consensus was that Bottas could easily find another seat in F1.<\/p>\n<p>However, this prevailing assumption is now being tested.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"Um0uwaa5TnBgD5zLy5wzoQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2163932906\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Um0uwaa5TnBgD5zLy5wzoQ',sig:'nsYsYRtN_bTSE84dNPtyuHMzMtzhecr-B-ZrfS4ZjQI=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2163932906',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Options running out for Bottas<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Recent developments in the driver market have not been especially encouraging for Bottas.<\/p>\n<p>Haas and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/07\/31\/logan-sargeant-linked-to-indycar-drive-with-prema\/\" target=\"_self\">Williams<\/a> have both finalised their driver line-ups for 2025. With a return to a front-running team off the table, the 34-year-old&#8217;s pool of realistic destinations is shrinking.<\/p>\n<p>Alpine and Sauber are the only teams (excluding Mercedes and the ever-unpredictable Red Bull) yet to confirm their drivers.<\/p>\n<p>As it stands, Bottas is not the front-runner to join the French team.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/07\/31\/jack-doohan-leading-contender-to-join-alpine-in-2025\/\" target=\"_self\">Jack Doohan<\/a>, reserve driver for the Enstone-based operation, is the favourite to join Alpine.<\/p>\n<p>An announcement is expected relatively soon, which would eliminate another option for Bottas.<\/p>\n<p>This would leave Sauber, his current team, as the final lifeline.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"_tQICPYjTFlxpIOWYSFVXA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2163572564\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'_tQICPYjTFlxpIOWYSFVXA',sig:'I-qP7Spu5G301qFR54BA848TI2A4OjV866v4K1NtoHc=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2163572564',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sauber could be last lifeline<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the early months of 2024, the likelihood of Bottas staying at Hinwil was low.<\/p>\n<p>Though signing Audi-approved Nico Hulkenberg so early was a very shrewd move, it confirmed the team&#8217;s reluctance to commit<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/05\/03\/bottas-audi-made-sudden-change-without-consulting-me\/\" target=\"_self\">\u00a0to Valtteri Bottas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Bottas speaks often about the importance of having a multi-year contract and the stability it provides.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, Sauber&#8217;s reluctance to offer him a deal makes them a sub-optimal option.<\/p>\n<p>With that said, the 10-time winner does not have the luxury of pursuing the ideal scenario.<\/p>\n<p>The doors for next year are quickly closing, so regardless of how attractive the room is inside, Bottas must find a way.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"5mloG2WfQ0VyHNoeDSRxiA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2163500764\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'5mloG2WfQ0VyHNoeDSRxiA',sig:'Pq963wmooTCxk1t42O7FMhEuqzgETCf5LYVZcz85AL4=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2163500764',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Luckily for Bottas, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/01\/06\/f1-news-esteban-ocon-high-on-sauber-and-audi-shortlist\/\" target=\"_self\">Sauber have failed to sign their ideal targets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Carlos Sainz, their well-established priority, decided against joining them &#8211; instead opting for Williams.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/07\/16\/esteban-ocon-set-to-join-haas-in-2025\/\" target=\"_self\">Esteban Ocon<\/a>, who is also understood to have been a target for Audi, chose to sign for Haas.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, the drivers available to the Hinwil-based team are limited &#8211; and they may struggle to find a free agent of a higher calibre than Bottas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Valtteri Bottas finds his back against the wall as he works to stay in F1 &#8220;I&#8217;m confident I&#8217;m going to get a seat.&#8221; 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 &#8211; and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4927,"featured_media":22555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[2220,206,68,345,225],"class_list":["post-22554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-formula-1","category-news","tag-2024-formula-1-season","tag-audi","tag-f1","tag-sauber","tag-valtteri-bottas"],"modified_by":"Jaden Diaz-Ndisang","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4927"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}