Lawrence Barretto shares update on Valtteri Bottas’s F1 future after missing out on Williams seat

Follow us on Google Discover

Valtteri Bottas is the most successful Formula 1 driver currently on the grid without a confirmed race seat for 2025.

Only Daniel Ricciardo has won a race out of the remaining free agents, but Valtteri Bottas’s tally of 10 Grand Prix victories trumps the Australian’s eight wins.

Unfortunately, this season Bottas would be happy to settle for a top-ten finish given Sauber’s current struggles.

The Swiss outfit have yet to score a point and are firmly rooted at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.

This has forced the senior Audi hierarchy – who technically own the Sauber team but won’t make their F1 debut until 2026 – to make some big changes.

Mattia Binotto has been installed as the head of the project in place of Andreas Seidl and Jonathan Wheatley has ended his long association with Red Bull to take on the role of team principal.

However, they need to quickly work out who is going to be part of their driver line-up for 2025 with only one driver – Nico Hulkenberg – confirmed at this stage.

Journalist Lawrence Barretto took to X ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend to provide an update on Bottas’s future.

Time is running out for the Finn to find a seat on the grid with just a handful of options left.

Barretto believes the 34-year-old has been in talks with a team boss recently and is feeling positive about his chances.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin

Valtteri Bottas has ‘already had chats’ about securing a seat on the 2025 F1 grid

Posting on social media about Bottas’s future, Barretto said: Barretto: “Valtteri Bottas says his future is ‘more straightforward now’ after Sainz signed for Williams (Bottas for 2nd favourite).

“With the way the other vacant seats are set to fall, Sauber/Audi is his best bet for a seat in 2025. He’s already had chats with Mattia and remains optimistic.”

Bottas then added, as quoted by The Race: “It did feel for the last six months or so that I wasn’t the top priority.

“Obviously, the management [were] looking through all the options, with sometimes quite little communication.

“But now it feels a bit different. There was a clear reset.”

Bottas is said to be in pole position to retain his Sauber seat but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything at this stage of negotiations.

After initially signing a multi-year deal with the manufacturer after leaving Mercedes, he’ll want to be in the mix to race for Audi when they officially start work in the paddock in 2026.

Finishing his career with a works team would be ideal for Bottas, but he faces a lot of competition for that role.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Who are Sauber’s options for a 2025 race seat?

Sauber have had to wait until the driver’s market has shaken out elsewhere before securing their second driver.

That has its pros and cons and after missing out on Carlos Sainz, they essentially have free reign over hiring whoever they want at this stage.

Bottas’s teammate Zhou Guanyu will hope to stay on the grid next year although his chances of doing so look extremely limited.

If Sauber are going to stick with one of their current drivers, they would only choose Zhou due to his impressive financial backing.

There are several rookies also in the mix, including Robert Shwartzman who Binotto has on his shortlist ahead of his FP1 appearance tomorrow.

McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto is also being looked at by Audi although he would be a surprising choice given the more experienced drivers he’s up against.

Sauber won’t be in a rush to make a final decision and could feasibly be the last team to make their mind up before next season.