Valtteri Bottas is eager to begin contract negotiations with Audi, aware of the likely volatile 2024 F1 driver market. The upcoming season will be crucial in determining where Bottas ends his career.
Sauber was recently anonymous last season, barely hanging on to 9th place in the final constructor’s standings.
There were reasons for optimism when the season began, as Valtteri Bottas claimed strong points in Bahrain. The Swiss-based team seemed competitive enough in the midfield.
Unfortunately for the newly rebranded team, this was not the case.
Both drivers struggled for points throughout the season, left behind by the likes of Aston Martin and McLaren. It is often overlooked that Sauber (then known as Alfa Romeo) were arguably the 4th-fastest team in early 2022.
However, this offered little consolation for their lack of performance.
Aside from impacting their results, the C42 also made it difficult for Bottas and teammate Guanyu Zhou to shine.
Ignoring occasional highlights in Bahrain and Qatar, the driver pairing was fairly anonymous. It’s difficult to blame them, considering the relatively poor machinery they were operating with.
Moving into the 2024 season, Sauber (officially known as Stake F1 Team) hopes to make a step forward.
This should also benefit their drivers, who will need machinery capable of points to produce noteworthy performance.
Rising Stakes for Bottas
Ahead of a surely unpredictable driver market, this will be an essential requirement for Bottas and Zhou.
Speaking to motorsport.com, the former Mercedes driver explained his approach:
“As I understand it, they’re going to make decisions for next year at the beginning of this season…
“I’m going to have those discussions in the first quarter of the year.”
Although Bottas expressed that competing with Audi in 2026 is his “number one priority and preference,” he also revealed a willingness to explore other options.
The Finn believes he can still compete at a high level in Formula 1 and has no intentions of ending his career.
As always, results will dictate how the driver market evolves. For Valtteri Bottas, the first step will be to establish himself as Stake F1 Team’s lead driver – and make a strong case for Audi to keep him in their plans.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
