Valtteri Bottas shares brutal reason he was rejected for new F1 seat
Valtteri Bottas' racing future is hanging in the balance after he was snubbed for a new F1 seat.
Valtteri Bottas has opened up about his snub by the new Audi F1 team, with his future on the grid now hanging in the balance. Bottas, currently racing for Sauber, could be left without an F1 seat for the 2026 season.
The 2026 season is already shaping up to be a seismic one for the sport. Engine regulation changes are expected to shake up the pack, with the likes of Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari all hoping to end Red Bull’s recent dominance. But, 2026 will also see Audi involved in F1 for the first time.
The German car manufacturing giant have already started prepping their roster, with Nico Hulkenberg set to move across from Haas for the 2026 season. It means at least one of Bottas, or current Sauber team-mate Zhou Guanyu, will be out of a job.
Speaking about his future, Bottas said: “The timing is quite early and a little bit surprising. But the driver market is starting to move, obviously.
Don't miss... Lewis Hamilton speaks out on Angela Cullen getting new job one year after split [LATEST]
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“It also kind of makes sense, he’s [Hulkenberg] German and Audi’s made it pretty clear that they want a German driver. So it’s all good, let’s see what happens next. Obviously, [I’ve been] speaking to multiple teams, some talks have advanced more than the others, so we’ll see.”
Bottas served up an open and honest assessment about the impending takeover, with the Finn admitting Audi’s influence is already starting to show. On the behind-the-scenes changes, Bottas said: “I think it says that things are changing. You know, there’s change happening.
“Obviously, some changes are for the long term. I don’t obviously know all the reasons behind every decision that, like I said, is being made. But it just tells that, yeah, change is happening. People are leaving. People are coming in. That’s about it.”
Don't miss...
Max Verstappen responds to £213m Mercedes offer and taunts Toto Wolff [REPORT]
Lewis Hamilton refuses to sign Ferrari caps as Verstappen gives Mercedes hope [NEWS]
Max Verstappen 'certain' to leave Red Bull as Ralf Schumacher shares F1 gossip [LATEST]
One of those changes being the decision to hand Bottas a new race engineer. The former Mercedes driver had worked with Alex Chan ever since he arrived at Sauber, but will now operate under the watchful eye of a different engineer in Miami.
Speaking about the abrupt switch around, Bottas said: “I think that’s more a question for the team. It was quite a sudden change.
“It’s a Sprint weekend so working with a fresh guy will be not easy, but [we're] obviously trying to make the most out of it. He’s getting lots of support but, yeah, it’s quite a sudden change.”