One driver whose future in F1 has looked bleak since the start of this season is Valtteri Bottas. Ever since Audi announced that they would be taking over from Sauber in 2026, the team has made it clear that they do not intend to retain their current driver lineup. This has sent Bottas looking elsewhere for a drive next season.
One of the teams that were seriously considering Bottas was Haas. Just a few days back, Haas announced Oliver Bearman as one of their drivers for the 2025 season onwards. Meanwhile, the other Haas seat has now become empty as the team just announced that they would be parting ways with Magnussen after the conclusion of the 2024 season. While this could have been good news for Bottas, recent reports have suggested that Esteban Ocon is most likely to get that seat.
🚨| Haas are set to announce Esteban Ocon will drive for them in 2025
An announcement is reportedly expected before the summer break, as per @Racingnews365c.
Ocon will sign a multi-year contract, at the American team.
At Alpine, they hope to eventually bring in Sainz as… pic.twitter.com/OXejoIyrro
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 6, 2024
Ocon has been driving for Alpine since the 2020 season. But now that they have decided to part ways, he has been looking for another seat. Given that he is a driver at the prime of his career, Haas will favor him over Bottas.
But with Ocon heading towards Haas, what other options are there for Bottas?
What now for Valtteri Bottas?
Valtteri Bottas will now have to start looking at other teams such as Williams and Alpine for a possible seat. However, both these teams are close to signing other drivers.
It is no secret that Williams has been looking to replace Logan Sargeant after this year. There have been many candidates including Bottas, Zhou, Sainz, and Antonelli. But the team has made it clear that their priority will be to get Sainz to pilot the second car at Williams.
Sainz doesn’t have many other options at the moment. He cannot be guaranteed a long-term contract with Mercedes, and joining Sauber will not be a safe bet for the team. Hence, Williams stands out as one of the best options for the Spaniard. So that’s one more seat taken from Valtteri Bottas.
Alpine has also expressed interest in bringing in a rookie – Jack Doohan. The team has already confirmed Pierre Gasly to continue driving for the team on a multi-year contract. And with Doohan in the other car, the team could be heading towards a strong future. Another seat was taken from Bottas.
Valtteri Bottas spotted leaving the Williams hospitality building 👀
Autosport understands Bottas had a 15 minute meeting with James Vowles 🤔#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/9llFZg5lP7
— Autosport (@autosport) May 18, 2024
But there is still one option that could be possible for the Fin. With Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes after this season, the team needs to look for a replacement. It is no secret that Toto Wolff wants their junior driver, Kimi Antonelli in the car as soon as possible. There is a chance that Mercedes will bring in the 17-year-old next year. However, if Toto feels that Antonelli will need one more year in F2 to get some more experience, he could look at Valtteri Bottas to drive the W16 for the 2025 season.
It will be interesting to see how things turn out in the next couple of weeks. Do you think we will see Valtteri Bottas on the grid next year? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan