Valtteri Bottas, the outgoing Sauber driver, has ruled out a potential race seat with Red Bull for the 2025 season, citing a perceived lack of favor from the Red Bull team.
The 35-year-old Finn, who faces an uncertain future after Sauber opted to refresh his line-up ahead of his transition to Audi, is realistic about his prospects despite Sergio Perez's underwhelming performances potentially opening a door at the Milton Keynes squad.
Red Bull finds itself in an unusual position heading into the final two rounds of the 2024 season. Their 53-point deficit to McLaren in the constructors' championship, largely attributed to Perez's struggles, has put the Mexican driver's future under scrutiny.
While Max Verstappen has amassed an unrivaled 267 points this season, Perez has contributed just 49 in the past 16 races, a disparity that has drawn criticism from fans and stakeholders alike.
Despite this, Red Bull's driver pool lacks a standout replacement. Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, both part of the Red Bull junior program, have yet to deliver consistent performances to warrant a promotion.
Meanwhile, the team's earlier interest in promising talent Franco Colapinto has cooled after the Williams rookie's spate of costly crashes.
Bottas, however, believes Red Bull is not a realistic option for him.
“I feel there's some people like Red Bull who don't really like me, so it's a reason [not to wait for them],” Bottas said. “So I don't know. “I don't think it's an option, but that's my feeling.”
Instead, Bottas looks set to return to Mercedes in a reserve driving role. He has been in discussions with Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, and is optimistic about the future
“We've been talking for quite a long time,” Bottas told the media in Las Vegas last weekend. “I'm sure we will catch up again either tomorrow or Monday.
“Of course I want to see all the options, but if I look at it, there's many positive things about it. Being back in the Mercedes family – it's a great team, it's a great brand. You can create lots of opportunities for the future.
“So it's a really solid option for me, and actually I'm really grateful that they kind of are willing to take me in the role.”
The move would allow Bottas to stay connected to Formula 1 while exploring potential opportunities for a full-time return in 2026, possibly with a new entrant like Cadillac, whose F1 project is gaining momentum.
The move would allow Bottas to stay connected to Formula 1 while exploring potential opportunities for a full-time return in 2026, possibly with a new entrant like Cadillac, whose F1 project is gaining momentum.
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