After no driver changes from the end of 2023 into the 2024 campaign, everyone entered 2024 awaiting a big 2025 silly season with 15 contracts ending by the end of this year.
Lewis Hamilton kicked things by exercising a clause in his contract to leave Mercedes to move to Ferrari next year.
Valtteri Bottas is one of the drivers out there in the driver market with a contract until the end of 2024. He has been at Sauber for the past three years but has made no confirmation about staying with the team for its rebrand to Audi in 2026.
The Finn was caught walking out of the Williams hospitality at Imola last Sunday after discussions with his former team strategist at Mercedes, who is now the current team principal of Williams, James Vowles.
Speaking in a written media session on Thursday in Monaco, Bottas confirmed he has not signed anywhere yet.
“I have not signed to anywhere at the moment.”
The Sauber driver says that he have no plans on leaving F1 and that there are talks going on with multiple teams that includes Williams and Alpine, but he assured nothing is signed yet.
However, there is one option that is his clear priority. Pit Debrief understands that the team is Williams.
“It’s only 100% when the pen hits the paper. So in this sport, that’s how it works. It’s never 100%, but yeah, I’ll still go for 99%.
“I would say we’re not just talking to one team, let’s put it that way. So there are other teams we’re talking to. But I have my clear priority for the future, which I’m not going to tell you. But yeah, I have one.”
Bottas adds that he would the contract talks to be sorted in the next few weeks, meaning he can drive for the rest of 2024 with freedom as he has a deal for next year and potentially beyond.
The Finnish driver was consistently given one-year deals during his time at Mercedes, and he is fully aware of how things work.
“I would like to be sorted soon, which is kind of the same thing for the teams I guess, because things are really moving, so hopefully within the next weeks.
“I mean, it’s always more comfortable when you know, but it’s nothing new. You know my past, so it’s part of the game. I would say it’s more distracting if it goes to, let’s say, August break or beyond August break.”
