Bottas says Audi success in F1 "just a matter of time"

The current situation at Kick Sauber might not be particularly promising at the moment, but Valtteri Bottas feels the longer range forecast is much more optimistic once Audi takes the reins in 2026.

The big question for the Finn is whether he will be sticking around long enough to see the fruits of their current labours, with his own personal future at Hinwil beyond the end of 2024 currently very much up in the air.

Nico Hulkenberg will join the team next season, but Audi CTO Mattia Binotto remains tight lipped about who will be joining the German on the grid. Bottas is believed to be front runner ahead of current team mate Zhou Guanyu.

“In the last few months I’ve had to keep my eyes and ears open, what’s happening, and trying to read the driver market," Bottas told Motorsport Week in an exclusive interview this week.

"There’s been no guarantees of me staying here," he admitted. And some might wonder why he wants to stay at a team that has so far failed to score a single championship point in 2024, and is usually to be found at the back of the grid.

• Read also: Bottas 'didn't expect Sauber to be performing this poorly'

But Bottas has faith in the Audi project, and in Binotto who has recruited Red Bull's Jonathan Wheatley to be the works team's principal

"I think in the long term it could be really interesting, and there could be some success in sight if I can get into the project," he declared. "There’s a clear direction, a clear priority.

“I feel like that’s what I need at this stage of my career: I need a clear project into which to focus," he explained. "Change is one part of it.

"A big part of it is what I’ve learned in terms of the investments they’ve made, of the facilities that they have, the people they have, the people they are about to get. It gives me confidence that they will be successful.

“It’s never going to be an easy road, joining F1, but they’ve got the resources," he insisted. “They’ve got a pretty impressive setup at the moment, planned for the future, and it’s just a matter of time.

If Bottas doesn't keep his seat at Kick Sauber next year then he seems to be out of options for extending his stay in F1. But there are other avenues open for the 35-year-old in the wider world of motorsport.

With 238 race starts under his belt including ten wins with Mercedes among a total of 67 podiums, added to 20 pole positions since his debut in the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, Bottas certainly has a formidable CV.

“I’m actually just getting into my mid-30s now, so age is not an issue," he said, pointing to 42-year-old Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin as an example. "Fernando is a benchmark, maybe an outlier, but I still have time.

“In this sport, with experience, you can always gain something more," he argued. "I still feel like I’ve got many years ahead of me. I’m not seeing the chequered flag yet.”

Asked whether he might follow Daniel Ricciardo's example of signing up as a reserve driver in the hope of a full time recall, or whether he would consider driving in other championships, Bottas said everything was in play..

"I would have to monitor all the options, what makes sense for the future, for the short term and long term,” he replied. “But for sure I would be racing something.

“If I would have to decide now it would probably be IndyCar,” he said, looking stateside to possible opportunities in the US open wheel series with its mix of street tracks and ovals. “But I don’t want to think about it too much yet.”

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