With the System 1 season winding down, solely two spots are left to be confirmed on the grid for the 2025 marketing campaign. A kind of spots is at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew, the place present driver Daniel Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson are among the many prime choices.
The opposite spot? That’s at Sauber, a seat at present occupied by Valtteri Bottas. Whereas the workforce confirmed that Nico Hülkenberg might be driving for the following workforce, forward of the swap to Sauber turning into the Audi works operation in 2026, the workforce has but to substantiate their second driver.
Talking with the official F1 channel forward of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bottas outlined how talks with the workforce are progressing, in addition to F1 remaining his “most probably” vacation spot subsequent 12 months.
“Yeah, there’s fairly a number of issues to consider on this sport. Simply the race weekend alone is various load on you mentally and bodily, and but there’s at all times the contract scenario which is an additional stress,” started Bottas. “However yeah, issues are progressing.
“We’re nonetheless virtually in day by day contact with, with Mattia [Binotto], determining what every get together desires and, yeah, that’s about it. However I’m at all times constructive.”
Pressed on the matter, Bottas outlined how F1 is his “most probably” vacation spot for subsequent season, however didn’t rule out a “hypothetical” transfer to a different collection, particularly mentioning IndyCar as a Plan B.
“I don’t suppose it’s needed to consider that an excessive amount of,” started Bottas. “Now, I feel for me [it’s] very clear the place I need to be, and the place I most probably might be, which is in System 1.
“ut let’s say if it’s a hypothetical query, if not System 1, I’d undoubtedly race. I’m a racer and I’ve been racing all my life, and I couldn’t simply stop racing,” continued Bottas. “And plan B can be IndyCar, and to try to win the championship in X quantity of years.”
Earlier this week SB Nation printed an unique with the Sauber driver, diving into his contract future. His feedback in Azerbaijan mirror these feedback from earlier within the week.
“I’m nonetheless engaged on it,” mentioned Bottas to SB Nation. “Making some progress, however that’s all I can say proper now. Have had good discussions that may proceed inside the subsequent days. That’s all I may give you. Finally all the things might be positive a method or one other.”
His man followers are hoping that information comes sooner fairly than later.