Valtteri Bottas 'holds 15 minute meeting with rival team boss' at Emilia Romagna GP
Valtteri Bottas' time at Sauber appears to be running out, but the former Mercedes star could find a new drive elsewhere.
Valtteri Bottas reportedly held a 15-minute meeting with Williams team principal James Vowles in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix paddock. The Finnish driver is out of contract at the end of the season and is unlikely to be awarded a new deal by Sauber following an underwhelming 2024 campaign thus far.
The 10-time Grand Prix winner joined Sauber in 2022 after the expiry of his Mercedes contract, but despite some strong performances in his first six months with the team Bottas has more often been in the headlines for his off-track antics than his results since joining the Swiss outfit.
His contract - along with that of team-mate Zhou Guanyu - is set to expire at the end of 2024 and with the transition into an Audi works team growing ever closer, it is expected that Sauber will opt for a clean slate with their next driver pairing announcement.
One of the seats with the team for 2025 has already been filled. Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, Sauber confirmed the signing of Nico Hulkenberg on a multi-year contract with the German racer making the switch from Haas, with whom he made his F1 comeback in 2023.
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Valtteri Bottas spotted leaving the Williams hospitality building ??????
— Autosport (@autosport) May 18, 2024
Autosport understands Bottas had a 15 minute meeting with James Vowles ??????#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/9llFZg5lP7
Carlos Sainz has also been heavily linked with the Audi project. The Spaniard is the first choice of Andreas Seidl who worked closely with him during their time at McLaren. The contract has been on the table for some time now, but the Ferrari star is sceptical about committing terms to Sauber when moves to Red Bull and Mercedes are on the cards.
For Bottas, the options look more limited. However, there may be interest from Williams, who he represented for four seasons at the beginning of his career between 2013 and 2016. According to Autosport, the 34-year-old chatted with Vowles for 15 minutes in the team’s motorhome in Imola.
Addressing his options on Friday, Vowles said: “I'm looking at about three options for 2025/2026, simple as that. When we are in a position where I can talk about it, which won't be long, we will do.
"We know we need to be performing at the highest level. Logan has control in his hands, making sure he is performing at that level. That's his ability to control. I haven't taken that away from him. But what's clear is we also need to be talking to others and we are."