Valtteri Bottas continues to have an uncertain future, but the out-of-contract Sauber driver has now dropped a hint about his plans for 2025 as Mercedes keep close tabs. The 35-year-old is fighting to extend his career in the pinnacle of motorsport that started for Williams back in 2013. Bottas has since gone on to enter 243 Grand Prix and has started 242 ahead of the 2024 Sao Paulo GP, with this weekend’s Brazilian round also his 65th at Sauber.
Bottas joined Sauber in 2022 whilst the Swiss team operated as Alfa Romeo after the Hinwil natives handed the Finn a three-year contract to leave Mercedes. He had only ever been on one-year deals whilst with the Silver Arrows from 2017 to 2021. But his deal is now expiring.
Photo by Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty ImagesValtteri Bottas admits his 2025 F1 plans may block an Adelaide Motorsport Festival appearanceA return to Mercedes is potentially on the cards for Bottas in 2025. The Finn revealed at the 2024 Mexico City GP that being a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows is “for sure one option and I would consider it”. But the priority is to be a race driver as talks with Sauber continue.
READ MORE: Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and ginGerman automotive giant Audi is still yet to sign a teammate for incoming Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg as it prepares Sauber for a full takeover in 2026. Bottas is in a good spot to race for Sauber in 2025 but Audi is considering a move for McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto still. While Audi studies the market for Sauber, Bottas is also thinking about 2025 in the mindset of still being a Formula 1 driver.
He has now confirmed that the Finn would like to return to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival in March but is unsure of how F1 would impact attending. “I’ll try to be there,” Bottas told Speedcafe. “I don’t actually [know] with the testing calendar how it works.
Also, [it] depends if the team puts me in any events or anything. But I’ll try to be there – it’s a great event. It’s nice to see the motorsport culture in Australia.
“Before the festival, only what I’d seen is the Melbourne Grand Prix. But now, actually being outside the Grand Prix environment, in a much more relaxed atmosphere with all kinds of cars around, it’s a great, great event. It was really good to see and I’ll try to be there again.
”Valtteri Bottas is struggling to convince Audi with Sauber’s slow carFormula 1 has confirmed that the 2025 calendar will start with one pre-season test held on February 26, 27 and 28 at the Bahrain International Circuit. F1 has sought to stage one test in Sakhir ahead of the travelling circus heading to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi futureBottas still hopes to feature on the grid for the 2025 Australian GP on March 16 as he moves to continue at Sauber.
But he is not delivering a completely convincing argument for Audi to offer new terms, with the 10-time Grand Prix winner still yet to score a single point this year. Sauber have had the worst car on the grid at most races in 2024, and Bottas earned his best results so far with P13 in the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix. He also only managed to get 14th place in the Mexico City GP after starting from P15, despite three racers ahead retiring.
