Valtteri Bottas remains hopeful about his F1 future, despite preparing a possible shift to IndyCar as his ‘Plan B’.
Valtteri Bottas may be having a season in the shadows, yet it’s not due to his own performance, but that of his car.
The Finn continues to outperform Guanyu Zhou weekend after weekend, maintaining a comfortable margin in qualifying: an average of half a second.
Is this enough to secure his place in F1 next year? To be extended for another year and partner with Nico Hülkenberg?
“I hope we’ll have news soon. Christmas is just around the corner. Let’s try to get things sorted during the break before Austin,” he said last night after the race.
This indeed seems to be the trend, and comments by Valtteri Bottas to the official F1 website suggest the same. Bottas is likely to remain on the grid next year.
Even though Valtteri Bottas has a Plan B, Plan A is likely what he desires…
“I think for me, it’s very clear that it’s in Formula 1 where I want to be and where I will most likely be.”
“Let’s say it’s a hypothetical question like ‘if not Formula 1, where would I go…?’ I would definitely still race. I am a racer, I’ve raced all my life, and I couldn’t stop racing. Plan B would be IndyCar, trying to win the championship in x years – but I don’t think that’s the case for me yet, I’m not there yet.”
“I can be confident on my side, I know that.”
“I know I should be in Formula 1 and, based on the positive responses, let’s say, from Mattia and his intentions for the future, I feel I’m in a strong position. But well… it’s still too early to say more.”
What could save Valtteri Bottas? Likely the appointment of Mattia Binotto in place of Seidl at the helm of the Audi project.
“I haven’t felt like the number one priority over the last six months. It’s clear that there was a signing [Hulkenberg] before me, and it’s obvious that the team and management were exploring all options, somewhat openly.”
“I would say that earlier this year, I was in a position where I had to look at all options because you don’t know how the pieces will fit together.”
“But now, what I want is very clear. It’s only Formula 1, and it will be the same for the coming years. This is now where I will focus all my energy instead of looking elsewhere.”
“With Mattia, when he arrived, we met quite soon. I have a lot of respect for him, and I saw that he respected me too. And you know, we were adversaries in the past when I was with Mercedes and he was with Ferrari, and I gave them a hard time. So, he knows it’s better to have me with him rather than against him!”
“I think that in our current situation, the team needs experience… if I were a team director, I would bring in that experience, because to get out of this situation (in which my team currently finds itself), you need someone who has been in a winning team, who knows what a team needs to succeed in terms of facilities, people, and working methods. That’s why I think I am in a good position.”
Bottas has yet another good reason to relax…
In his comments, Valtteri Bottas appeared very serene and relaxed: indeed, we seem to have witnessed the emergence of a new Bottas in recent years, a Bottas bare-bottomed and sporting a mullet… Why so?
“There’s one important thing, it’s age, experience,”
“But then, I obviously changed environments [from Mercedes to Sauber]. For the first time in the sport, I had stability in terms of contract. And almost at the same time, or just before, a new partner from Australia [his girlfriend, cyclist Tiffany Cromwell].”
“I think all these things allowed me not to take certain things too seriously and to see life as a whole, instead of closing in on myself.
“It becomes, let’s say, less personal and less distracting. I think it’s simply experience. There are so many things to do in this world and in life, that’s why I’m not too stressed about certain things.”
Valtteri Bottas would only be extended for one year by Mattia Binotto… but he assures that he does not feel close to retirement.
“I feel that I have many years ahead of me, I don’t feel any signs of decline.”
“Each year, I feel like I learn something new and become a more complete driver. And there isn’t a single area where I can say I’ve regressed since the beginning. That’s why I think I have a lot more time and things to give to this sport.”
“I’ve always had confidence that there would be someone in the paddock who knows what I can bring to the team and who would recognize my skills, and I hope and have confidence that will be the case, you know. And if it’s not, then… it’s their loss.”
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Bottas Eyes F1 Stay – Has IndyCar Backup Plan Bottas Eyes F1 Stay – Has IndyCar Backup Plan. f1 2024 Bottas Eyes F1 Stay – Has IndyCar Backup Plan
