What future for Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou?
Sauber's two drivers will have to bounce back after being ousted from the team for next season. While some leads have been mentioned, nothing is official yet.
Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will not be regular drivers at Sauber in 2025, and then at Audi in 2026. The Swiss team has decided to overhaul its lineup. They want to focus on youth with the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (20 years old), current leader of Formula 2, to accompany the experienced Nico Hülkenberg (37 years old) in this transition.
While neither of the two drivers have scored any points this season, not helped, it must be said, by endless pit stops at the beginning of the season and an unstable car. With the lack of space on the grid for 2025, there is little chance of seeing them back in Formula 1 in the near future.
Bottas aims for a reserve driver role at Mercedes
The year has been eventful for Valtteri Bottas. At 35, the Finnish driver first lost the confidence of the Sauber/Audi management, before becoming the favorite again to keep his seat with the arrival of a new management team.
He also missed an opportunity at Williams, where Carlos Sainz was preferred, and was not chosen for a position at Alpine. Despite these setbacks, sources indicate that Bottas remains determined and motivated. He trains more intensely than ever, determined to write a strong final chapter in his career. In an interview earlier this year, he said he still sees himself in F1 for at least five more years.
Although he often outperformed his teammate Zhou, he did not always do so convincingly, which played against him. The need for Bottas to find a new contract comes at a time when a wave of young talents is flooding the grid, notably after Ollie Bearman’s outstanding performance as a replacement in Saudi Arabia.
Audi, on the other hand, was looking for a headliner for its entry in 2026. After missing out on Sainz, signing Bortoleto, the current F3 champion and current leader of F2, emerged as an excellent option. Aware of the threat posed by Bortoleto, Bottas and his team began exploring a plan B, including a reserve driver role at Mercedes. Discussions between the two parties have been ongoing for several weeks.
He maintains an excellent relationship with Mercedes and Toto Wolff, after five years with the team. During this time, he has achieved 10 Grand Prix victories and 58 of his 67 podium finishes. With his experience and determination, Bottas could be a valuable asset for Mercedes. In addition to being a solid replacement option, his technical feedback and simulator work would be invaluable.
For Bottas, this role would allow him to remain visible in the paddock and to maintain his skills in preparation for a possible return to a regular seat in 2026. He could also have the opportunity to occasionally drive F1 cars.
Zhou explores other options
On his side, Guanyu Zhou, who made his debut in 2022 with Sauber, is also looking to bounce back after two difficult seasons. Although he helped Alfa Romeo secure sixth place in the constructors’ championship in 2022, he struggled to consistently compete with Bottas, mainly due to recurrent mechanical issues.
As his future remains uncertain, Guanyu Zhou would prefer an active racing program rather than a reserve role in F1. He would have opportunities in other disciplines, such as Formula E, that he could explore now that Sauber has clarified its position.
« Of course, I would have liked and wanted to stay for the next season, I also think that it’s the right time after the tough races we had this year, to start, let’s say, a new chapter, declared Zhou before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. « For me, at the moment, I would still like to finish the season in the best possible way.
« There is a lot of discussion about the future at the moment. The top priority is to try to stay in Formula 1 and see what the best options are, the best team for me to take on a reserve driver role. Nothing has been decided yet, there is a lot of interest from different teams. For me, there is no rush. I need to understand well what I want and what the team’s situation or position is. We will see. I hope to receive good news soon, but it won’t be immediate. »
Case to follow then for the two pilots. There are two races left to try to score points for their future.
