Out-of-contract 67-podium F1 star looks so much happier this season

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There are only 20 seats on the Formula 1 grid and dozens of racing drivers who believe they’ve got what it takes to be in the paddock.

The Formula 1 driver’s market might finally give some of those rookies a chance next season with contracts expiring up and down the grid.

Speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast, journalist Tim Hauraney admitted that one driver in that situation doesn’t seem to be feeling the pressure.

The wheels are in motion for every team as they prepare their line-ups for 2025.

Williams were the latest manufacturer to sign up a driver for next season and beyond after announcing that Alex Albon had agreed a new long-term contract.

While Albon was already signed up until the end of 2025, some teams were considering making a move for the Thai driver.

One driver who has a very uncertain future is Sauber star Valtteri Bottas.

However, Hauraney has admitted that Bottas looks much happier this season and he’s driving as if the pressure is off.

He’s almost certainly going to have to move on from his current team at the end of the campaign, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting his mood.

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

Valtteri Bottas looks happier at Sauber this season

At the start of the race weekend in Miami, Bottas certainly wasn’t in the best mood.

His race engineer was changed ahead of the race and while Bottas was aware of what was happening, it wasn’t anything he had control over.

Sauber are also one of two teams – alongside Williams – who have yet to score a point this season.

Bottas’s best finish this season is 14^th in a Grand Prix – or 12^th in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race – but some incredibly slow pit stops have hampered his progress.

The announcement of Nico Hulkenberg as a Sauber driver for 2025 has almost certainly led to Bottas’s imminent exit from the team.

However, Hauraney says that Bottas looks happier at Sauber this season despite the troubles he’s faced and the uncertain future ahead of him.

His previous record in Formula 1 – including 10 victories and 67 podium finishes – means he would be a very good option for other teams on the grid.

Valtteri Bottas under no pressure during the Miami Grand Prix

Talking about the Finnish driver, Hauraney said: “He does look like he’s having a really good time down at Sauber.

“Like, I think the pressure is just not there anymore like it was in the past.

“He seems a lot more free, he’s driving really well, like in Miami he was so close to getting points, it wasn’t that far off for him, so it would be a shame not to see him on the grid next year.

“I think he brings a lot of value to a team and any sort of team that’s rebuilding or is in the back that needs help with development, he’s great in that regard simply because of the experience that guy’s got.”

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

Valtteri Bottas’s options for 2025 assessed

Valtteri Bottas will be much happier once he has his Formula 1 future agreed beyond this season.

He is said to have changed his mind about wanting to stay at Sauber after the Miami Grand Prix.

Bottas appears to be one of the strongest candidates to replace Kevin Magnussen at Haas.

There’s also a chance he could return to Williams as Alex Albon’s teammate next year.

Finally, Alpine are understood to be considering Bottas as a potential replacement for Esteban Ocon.

Bottas has a plethora of options on the table beyond this season to extend his stay in Formula 1 for at least another year.