Finnish Patience Tested Bottas Awaits Audi's Call

Bottas Frustrated: Waiting on Audi’s Decision for Future

31/10/2024

Valtteri Bottas expresses frustration over ongoing uncertainty, awaiting Audi’s confirmation amid a season of proving his worth on track.

Valtteri Bottas feels he “did the job” last time in Mexico, proving to Sauber why he deserves to keep his seat for 2025, acknowledging that he “can’t do more” with the current car to showcase his abilities.

During the media day at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, when asked if he was tired of facing questions about his future—and if there were any updates on the situation—Bottas joked, “Yeah, a bit tired of it! I’m sure you are too, maybe!”

“It’s normal—when there’s no confirmation, there are questions, and unfortunately, it’s the same situation this weekend. I’m still waiting; the ball is basically in their court.”

“I feel like I did the job in Mexico, and at the moment, I really can’t do more with this car to show what I can do than what I’m doing now, so all I can do is wait.”

Sauber has made headlines with announced personnel changes as part of an ongoing restructuring, with former Ferrari race strategy director Inaki Rueda joining, along with Giampaolo Dall’Ara as the team’s new head of race engineering.

“These are two more very interesting and strong people joining the team in different roles for next year,” Bottas commented.

“This simply shows the commitment, and the team’s restructuring is continuously underway. Some changes are more visible, others less so, but I think it shows that things are genuinely progressing for the future.”

“Of course, I’m still waiting for news from the team; I’ve always expressed my interest in being part of the Audi project. Now, I’m just waiting; that’s where things stand.”

When asked if he felt confident about getting the response he hopes for soon, the 35-year-old driver added, “The thing about this sport is you never really know what’s happening behind the scenes.”

“There’s always a lot of politics involved; we’re talking about a big corporation, a major business as well. Many factors influence decisions like driver lineups. All I can do now is trust Mattia [Binotto] and his words, and then we’ll see.”

Finnish Patience Tested: Bottas Awaits Audi’s Call Finnish Patience Tested: Bottas Awaits Audi’s Call

Go toTop