Valtteri Bottas will leave Sauber after the 2024 Formula 1 season but is understood to already be close to signing back with Mercedes as its reserve driver from next year.
In what has been an awful year for Sauber – still 2024’s only point-less team – Bottas’s place beyond the deal he struck when leaving Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season, when Sauber was branded as Alfa Romeo, was threatened as plans for Audi’s 2026 arrival accelerated.
First, Sauber hired Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg in a deal covering the 2025 season ahead of the Audi rebrand for the following year, with Bottas’s team-mate Zhou Guanyu departing the outfit.
Sauber then entered a turbulent period of management change, with previous bosses – former CEO Andrea Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann – axed and ex-Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto hired as chief operating and chief technical officer. Red Bull sporting director Johnathan Wheatley also joined to be Sauber team principal from 2025.
In Brazil last weekend Bottas said doing a new deal with Sauber was still “what I’m pushing for with Mattia”.
But over the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend Motorsport.com reported that Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto has agreed a deal to race for the Swiss team for next year after it missed out on signing Williams-bound Carlos Sainz, its long-held target.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44
Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images
“A situation like this is never easy for anyone,” Bottas said. “But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met.
“These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments. I’m grateful for the joint experiences as well as the trust and support I’ve felt every step of the way.
“Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.”
Mattia Binotto, COO & CTO, Sauber Motorsport AG added: “We extend our deepest gratitude to Valtteri for the past three years together. He has been the embodiment of professionalism, using his vast experience to support the team’s growth.
“Valtteri’s dedication and approach have been invaluable during a pivotal time in our history, and the memories of these years will stay with us for a long time. In considering our…
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