Valtteri Bottas has made Sauber contract demand that could open up 2025 seat for ‘sensational’ driver

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Normally the Formula 1 driver’s market kicks into action after the traditional summer break.

However, after Jack Doohan’s confirmation at Alpine during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, there are now just three vacant seats available for 2025.

Kimi Antonelli is expected to be George Russell’s teammate at Mercedes next year, it’s only a matter of time until Toto Wolff confirms the young Italian’s promotion.

Red Bull need to decide whether Daniel Ricciardo warrants another season in F1 or if it’s time to award Liam Lawson a full-time seat after his promising 2023 cameo.

This means Sauber are the only team with a seat that’s still being contested although the shortlist may now be just two drivers.

A report from Motorsport Italia suggests that Valtteri Bottas has now been offered a contract for next year.

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

The Finn is the most successful driver on the grid who hasn’t signed a contract with another team for next year.

However, what he wants and what Sauber – and more importantly Audi – wants don’t currently align.

This could then open up an opportunity for young Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

Described as ‘sensational’ by Motorsport Magazin journalist Christian Menath, Bortoleto has held talks with Sauber recently about the vacant seat.

Valtteri Bottas’ contract demands could open up Sauber’s seat to Gabriel Bortoleto

Bottas has spent the majority of his Formula 1 career racing each season not knowing if he would be on the grid the following year.

What appealed to him so much about joining Sauber – who were Alfa Romeo at the time – was that they offered him a three-year contract.

Motorsport Italia report that Bottas is keen to sign a one-plus-one deal, meaning he would be alongside Nico Hulkenberg for the first year of Audi’s presence in the paddock.

However, Audi only want to offer Bottas a one-year contract, leaving their options open for 2026.

They believe that only two drivers are currently on Audi’s shortlist with the other driver being Bortoleto.

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

Bortoleto is currently part of the McLaren junior team and having a fantastic season in Formula 2 after winning the F3 championship during his debut year in 2023.

His prospects of an F1 promotion at McLaren are incredibly slim considering Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are signed up to long-term deals.

Sauber would be required to buy Bortoleto out of his McLaren contract but given his desire to reach F1, he may be willing to sign more favourable terms than Bottas.

Sauber arrive at Monza after really ‘concerning’ Dutch Grand Prix performance

Bottas was on the shortlist of a handful of teams in the driver market this year but was never the first choice.

Now, he’s having to settle for another year with the weakest team on the grid and it’s understandable that he wants a contract that runs into 2026 when Audi may be more competitive.

Sauber were by far the worst-performing team at Zandvoort and will hope that they can improve at Monza.

They may take some comfort from the fact that McLaren have taken inspiration from a part on Sauber’s car for the Italian Grand Prix.

While the action is happening on the track, Sauber are still working hard off it to fix the issues they’re facing and secure the strongest driver line-up possible for 2025 and beyond.