Valtteri Bottas, one of the drivers whose contract is soon to expire, is uncertain about his future in Formula 1. However, the Finnish driver believes he still has a chance to remain in the sport, as he doesn’t feel his performance has declined.
Bottas was Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, but had to make way for George Russell in 2022. He then joined Sauber, which was racing under the name Alfa Romeo at the time. Sauber is set to be taken over by Audi in 2026, and Bottas hopes to be part of this transition as a driver for the team.
The Finnish driver believes his track performance demonstrates that he has the right qualities to stay in Formula 1. “Especially in this year’s qualifications, I haven’t felt any signs of decline,” Bottas explains.
So far, Bottas has only scored 59 points as a Sauber driver, compared to 226 points in 2021 alone as a Mercedes driver. Despite this, he feels his racing skills have only improved. “You only get better with experience,” says the driver. “You gain more consistency, more confidence, and can solve different problems in a different way. The more time you spend in the sport, the better you adapt to the car.”
Better than during Mercedes tenure
The Sauber driver previously stated that he is currently driving “even better” than during his time as a Mercedes driver. Bottas has a contract with Sauber until the end of this year, and reportedly, the team wants to keep him for 2025 as well. However, Bottas has not yet confirmed these rumors.
