After his five years and some sporadic victories, Valtteri Bottas he moved on to his ex Alfa Romeo in 2022. Thanks to its experience, the Biscione team believed it could shine again. For this reason a quite contract was offered full-bodied to the Finnish who, however, up to now, has not maintained expectations. The 59 points collected in these two years are not enough, because well 46 were recorded in the first 9 races of the 2022 World Championship. In those initial outings, the C42 seemed very fast (driven by the development of F1-75) and allowed the class of 1989 and his partner Guanyu-Zhou to position themselves permanently in the Top 10. The Chinese driver himself, after that flash from Valtteri, seemed to be more constant and deserve the renewal for this season too.
Bottas sees himself in Audi in the future: “I can still give something”
Despite not entirely convincing performances, Bottas will remain with the new one Sauber also in the 2024. While for many this confirmation takes away the possibilities of young people who could do better, the Finn has a totally different philosophy. In a recent interview with Motorsport, Bottas spoke openly about his future and the project Audi 2026, declaring that he wants to be an integral part of the team: “There is nothing more important in my life than racing in Formula 1. Like every driver I always want to do my best and get on the podium several times. This is why I believe that Audi's project is perfect for me. If I understand correctly, Audi itself will make the decisions for future years. This is why we haven't discussed my renewal, and I believe we will do so in the first quarter of the season.".
"Priority? Stay here where I am"
After talking about his future, Bottas focused on present, outlining his priority: “At the moment, the number one priority is to stay with Sauber, in Hinwil. If that doesn't happen, I will be ready to talk to any other team. As said, I want to stay in F1, because I know I can still give something to this sport.".
Article by Francesco Orlando
