Valtteri Bottas is among the most experienced and decorated drivers on the grid. So, with the Finn’s three-year deal expiring at the end of the season, what’s lies ahead?
DoorDash?
Audi, why I think he is there at stake in the first place. They will be a new-ish team and needs a safe, level headed, consistent well rounded driver in the beginning, who might not be a Leclerc or Verstappen but has experience and can help develop a car to the front of the pack. Then they can get those gem of gems driver that can extract 110% and start winning championships
Audi arrives in 2026. Bottas doesn’t have a contract for next year(2025). Is he going to take a break?
Audi already owns Stake, they can choose, I think it is going to be an easy 3 year contract with Audi, 2025 at Stake, 2026-2027 (maybe 2028) at Audi
he’s one of the three drivers I expect to replace Hamilton at Mercedes. (The other two being Alonso and Vettel).
Vettel? I don’t think he’s coming back.
Lewis at Ferrari vs Vettel at Mercedes would be funny though.
Given that Alonso is allegedly blocked by Daimler and Vettel is done with F1, I believe what they wanted to say is at they don’t expect these drivers to replace Hamilton.
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I agree that Merc would pickup Bottas, it just makes sense.
What sense? He was a good #2 when Mercedes was dominating, but today they aren’t. Mercedes needs someone who can perform, and Bottas can’t even outperform Zhou, who isn’t in this sport on merit.
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They are not in a position to just collect some points because they aren’t dominant anymore. Each point counts. See the last year: Mercedes 409, Ferrari 406. 3 points decided who got the second place. Bottas is not up for the job judging by his performance at Sauber. I doubt he has any future in F1. As of the familiarity with the team, any professional driver (i.e. any driver) will quickly adapt. That’s not a decisive factor.
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