Bottas critical of Sauber after saying joining was "a mistake"
F1 News
Valtteri Bottas has said that his move to Sauber in Formula 1 "was a mistake", with the Finn having some critical words for the Swiss team. The former Mercedes driver will leave the team he has been a part of since the 2022 season, a period at has been challenging for both the driver and the team.
Bottas joined the team in 2022, after spending five season with Mercedes from 2017 until 2021. Together with Hamilton, the Finnish driver won five constructors' championships. After not securing a permanent seat for 2025 as Sauber (soon-to-become Audi) opted for Nico Hulkenberg and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, the driver now believes that was not the correct decision to make.
Bottas describes the "downhill" decline of Sauber
Of course, Sauber, will become Audi when the new regulations come into play in 2026, but there will be a lot of work for the German team to get back consistently in the points, after this year, only Guanyu Zhou could finish in the Top 10 in Qatar. In the paddock at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Bottas' final race for the team, he spoke critically when asked if was the right decision to join the team: "No. It was a mistake but you can't predict the future. Everything started well off in the first year, but since then it was downhill. You just can't predict the future. That's how it is. I just want to make sure that the next move I make is going to be a good one, and hopefully, there's better times to come."
The Finn continued on, saying that the option to join Williams was on the table after the 2021 season, but that something at Sauber, then Alfa Romeo, convinced him to be a part of the team: "Fred was a big part. I used to work with him before. There was a clear plan and targets for the three years and also how to get there. But those plans and targets went into the bin when he left.
"Of course it was disappointing. We had a good relationship and, like I said, clear targets. That changed a lot by the end. I don't blame him because if you're a Team Principal, if you have a chance to go to Ferrari, you go."
Was there any more options that the Finn looked at when Vasseur departed after the 2022 season? "Yes, for sure. But when he left it was quite late. It was only at the very end of the year. I did have an option that if Fred goes, I can go. Once Audi confirmed their joining, I got always told that I'm gonna be the pillar for the project, and that didn't happen, so that had me over."
So Bottas' time in F1 looks to be over at the moment, with no seats available on the grid for the 35-year-old for next season. However, a reserve role at Mercedes is what could be on the cards next, and that role as a reserve driver is something that interests the Finn: "I hope so, and that's the target. I think there will be opportunities, but for that, I still need to keep driving, make sure I get some testing and be involved. That's the target." When will we here about the next move in the career of Bottas? "Maybe next week. But first I need to sign something!"
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