“Audi’s renewal causes frustration in Bottas with his team.”

Valtteri Bottas arrived at the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 weekend visibly frustrated, especially with his own team. The normally calm Bottas was surprised to find out that his race engineer at Sauber, Alex Chan, had been replaced. Bottas expressed his irritation during the FIA press conference, stating that the sudden change would make it challenging to work with a new engineer during the sprint weekend. He made it clear that he had no involvement in the decision and speculated that this may be part of the team’s restructuring process. Bottas also expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the recent Sauber/Audi announcement about the drivers for 2025, which confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg would join the team. Bottas and his current teammate, Zhou Guanyu, now find themselves competing for a spot at Sauber/Audi as the team prepares for its rebranding in 2026. Bottas, aware that Audi is looking for a German driver, acknowledged the logic behind hiring Hulkenberg, but also suggested the need for a Plan B if he is not part of Audi’s long-term plans. Bottas is currently in negotiations with several teams, with Williams being his best alternative if his prospects with Sauber/Audi diminish. The outcome of these discussions will determine Bottas’s future in Formula 1.