F1 star blindsided by late Audi driver decision

Mercedes F1 star Valtteri Bottas has spoken out about how he was blindsided by a late driver lineup decision from Audi.

The Finn was axed by Sauber at the end of the 2024 season, with no hope of a new full-time seat on the grid looking likely, and ended up as a reserve driver with Mercedes, who he had previously claimed all 10 of his race victories with.

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While Bottas is primed and ready for a stand-in role with Mercedes, Williams or McLaren in 2025 if called upon, the 35-year-old's main objective is to make a return to a full-time role in F1.

Bottas wants to achieve this in 2026, already putting his hand up for a role with Red Bull, as well as calling Cadillac's 2026 F1 project 'very interesting'.

Now, the Finn has revealed that he held talks with several teams last year, but that he was not able to properly start discussions as he didn't know if he would be re-signed by Sauber - who will become Audi in 2026 - or not.

On the Beyond the Grid podcast, Bottas was asked if Alpine had contacted him about their driver seat: "Yeah I spoke earlier on last year to quite a few teams because I was naturally going to end of my contract but never really jumped into 100 per cent again, because I was always convinced I'm going to be a part of the Audi project."

When asked when it was that he found out about Audi's decision, Bottas said: "Late, too late, that was the issue after Brazil, so I think some people knew before me so that really compromised everything and that's obviously when I knew that it's too late to sort out anything else. So, a bit unlucky there."

Will Bottas return in 2026?

Cadillac have confirmed that they are looking for at least one experienced driver to fill their driver lineup when they join the grid in 2026, making them an attractive prospect for Bottas.

With 10 grands prix wins, 67 podiums and 12 full seasons in the sport, Bottas fits the mould as an experienced racer, as do ex-Red Bull stars Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo.

Bottas' former Sauber team-mate Zhou Guanyu, who was also axed by the team at the end of the 2024 season, is another driver to have been linked with a seat at Cadillac, and the pair could reunite at the new team in 2026.

Bottas certainly feels as though he still has a lot to offer in F1, even stating in this same interview that he is available should Red Bull need a more experienced racer in their second seat alongside Max Verstappen.

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