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 there are other opportunities available to him next 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 to Audi. Despite the hiring of Nico Hulkenberg and potential interest in Carlos Sainz, Bottas remains hopeful he can secure a seat elsewhere in F1. He stated that negotiations have already begun and he hopes things will progress in the coming weeks.
Hulkenberg’s departure from Sauber opens up a seat at Haas, and there are rumors that Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman is the favorite for the position. Bearman impressed during his F1 debut with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With Bearman likely joining Haas, Kevin Magnussen is expected to remain 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 podiums during his time with Williams before leaving to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017. Williams, under the leadership of James Vowles, achieved their best Constructors’ Championship finish 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 been struggling in his second season and will face pressure to perform well in his home race in Miami. He missed a race in Australia due to a difficult start to the season.
