Two F1 drivers could now be ahead of Valtteri Bottas on Audi’s list for 2026

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Two current Formula 1 drivers could now be above Valtteri Bottas on their list of options for when they enter the sport in 2026.

Audi are slowly upping their influence within the Sauber set-up ahead of becoming the latest works team to join the grid.

Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm believes one pair of drivers are more likely to race for the German team than Bottas after his recent performances.

Audi could have two drivers above Bottas on their list

It’s been a far from spectacular start to life at Stake F1 Team for Sauber in 2024.

Zhou Guanyu narrowly missed out on scoring a point in Bahrain with a good drive to 11^th place.

Valtteri Bottas’s race was ruined by a very slow pit stop but he didn’t fare much better on Saturday.

Zhou suffered a similar fate in Saudi Arabia, but the pair were the last two classified runners when the chequered flag flew in Jeddah.

Audi will be considering who they want to drive for the team in 2026 and there might be a couple of drivers above Bottas on their list.

The Finn has admitted his ideal next step is to stay with the team going forward.

However, they will likely need to see an uptick in his results to warrant offering him a new contract before his current deal expires at the end of the year.

Bottas fighting for Formula 1 future

Speaking about Bottas’s future, Mitchell-Malm said: “The Sauber move, I’m sure he’s been well recompensed for it, I think the deal he did when he left Mercedes was a good one for him.

“I think financially and personally it’s probably been quite rewarding but competitively it hasn’t worked out.

“If there was going to be this silver lining of this is going to morph into the Audi works team, so hang on there and then you’re part of a works team project again, I’m not convinced he’ll be the first name on the get list for Audi.

“I don’t think Bottas is doing a bad job, I don’t think he’s phoning it in and I think he was better last year than sometimes it looked, but I just think a Carlos Sainz or a Nico Hulkenberg who is someone that Andreas Seidl the Sauber CEO and now the Audi F1 team CEO rates very highly and is very keen on.

“I think those will be ahead in the pecking order.”

If Sainz and Hulkenberg are above Bottas on Audi’s list, then he faces a real battle to stay with the team.

The Spaniard will be looking for a way to stay on the grid but might be hoping to join a stronger outfit than the current Sauber team.

Nico Hulkenberg’s point for Haas in Saudi Arabia was very impressive, but he needed a bit helping hand from teammate Kevin Magnussen.

Audi and Sauber will be in no rush to decide on their future driver line-up, but their current pairing will know they need to improve on their current results quickly.