As the 2024 season rapidly nears its end, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas has admitted that he is considering “all the alternatives” for his future in Formula One. This comes after speculation emerged linking Bottas to the position of reserve driver at Mercedes – his former team with which he achieved all ten of his F1 victories across five seasons.
After an unimpressive season with the Hinwill-based team, which sees him 23rd in the 2024 World Drivers’ Championship after 19 races, Bottas’ future in the sport remains uncertain. However, he is considered by many to be the favourite for the second – and currently vacant – seat at Sauber for 2025 onward.
Ahead of the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, Bottas confirmed that he was in touch with Sauber’s chief operating officer and chief technical officer Mattia Binotto. He stated that he spoke to Binotto “almost daily” and admitted that these conversations sometimes involved his future with the team.
“We are in an almost daily basis, keeping in touch with Mattia – sometimes about technical stuff, sometimes about the future.”
He added that he had “pretty well agreed” to the terms of a continuation with the Swiss team and stated that the decision was now up to the team itself and that he would focus on his racing while awaiting their decision.
“We’ve pretty well agreed everything in terms of the terms and stuff like that. Now it’s just, the ball is in their camp, so I’ll keep waiting and doing my job.”
Despite Bottas having identified his continuation at Sauber as his priority, he has acknowledged that he needed to consider all options available to him and confirmed that a return to Mercedes, even as a reserve driver was one option that remained on the table.
“Firstly, the priority is to stay as a race driver, that’s what I want, and that’s what I’m pushing for with Mattia.
“But, of course, as I don’t have anything signed – we’re in October – I’ve got to look at all the alternatives including going back to the Mercedes family. That’s for sure one option and I would consider it.”
However, Bottas reiterated that, in the event of him not continuing with Sauber, he had other options other than a return to Mercedes and stated that racing remained a priority for him.
“But there’s other options as well, as well as going back to my priority, which is to be a race driver even more.”
