Will we see Valtteri Bottas in Formula 1 beyond 2024? With General Motors joining as the eleventh team on the grid and interest from his former team Mercedes, it seems the Finn may not have to completely leave the premier class. One thing is certain, according to Bottas himself, taking a seat next to Max Verstappen at Red Bull is not an option.
Valtteri Bottas is one of the drivers who will lose his seat at the end of the season. His current team, Sauber, has decided to appoint Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto as the new line-up for 2025. Therefore, Bottas is actively seeking a way to stay in Formula 1. However, replacing the still struggling Sergio Pérez at Red Bull does not seem to be an option.
According to the Finn, some employees at Red Bull dislike him. “I have the feeling that there are people at Red Bull who don’t like me for one reason or another,” Bottas tells the media in Las Vegas. “I don’t think it’s an option, but that’s my feeling.
Return to Mercedes?
From 2017, Valtteri Bottas was Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes for five years. The Finn was also present when the seven-time world champion battled for the world title with Max Verstappen in 2021. Mercedes, however, is open to a potential return of the Finn to the team, in the role of reserve driver.
“Nothing has been signed, nothing has been done, but if we could have him back in the family, we would all be filled with joy,” Wolff indicates that he would welcome a reunion with Bottas, in an interview with Viaplay. “What you can say is that if you have the opportunity to have a driver like Valtteri back in the Mercedes family, with his abilities, with his most recent experience with these modern cars, you can consider yourself extremely lucky.” Wolff even suggests that it’s only a “matter of time” before Bottas will be seen in a Mercedes suit in the paddock again.
