Valtteri Bottas wants to prove his worth to still be on the grid in 2025
More than half of the drivers on the grid enter their final year of contract. Among them, Valtteri Bottas, who, considering his age and recent performances, is not guaranteed to still be on the grid in 2025. In order to keep a seat in F1, the Finnish driver will want to "show what he can do" behind the wheel of his Stake F1 C44.
The 2024 season has not even started yet, and the transfer market has already begun. Lewis Hamilton has knocked down the first domino by announcing his departure from Mercedes to join Ferrari, which leaves a seat vacant alongside George Russell.
13 drivers are still out of contract at the end of this year. Some, like Carlos Sainz Jr, who fell victim to the arrival of the seven-time world champion in Maranello, must already be searching for a new project. The Stake F1 track, future Audi from 2026 onwards, is the one that is most frequently discussed.
If number 55 joins the Swiss team, it will mean that one of the two current drivers, Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu, will be ousted. Especially since both of their contracts end at the end of the season.
The Finn will start his 12th season in F1. He has achieved 67 podiums in his career, including ten victories. But as he turns 35 and his 2023 season has been laborious with only a few points scored and a 15th place in the driver’s championship, his future in the Swiss team or in F1 is not guaranteed.
I want to show what I can do.
Stake F1 unveiled its new car, the C44, on February 5th. This will be the first of two seasons for the team before Audi’s arrival. While Alfa Romeo/Sauber finished ninth in the constructor’s championship, Bottas expresses confidence in this car and hopes to secure a seat in F1 by delivering strong performances.
“When it’s a new season and based on what I’ve seen throughout the winter, progress and all the new things, I am motivated. I really want to have a good season and when you start your last year of contract, let’s say, you also want to be able to show what you can do,” declares Valtteri Bottas.
« I think that mentally, I feel fresh. I feel like I have been able to digest last year because in the end, for me, it was a disappointment. But now, I feel like I am 100% over it, and I am motivated and fresh for the new season to try to have a really good year and show what I can do », continues the Finn.
