'Ageing' Bottas told to vacate F1 seat permanently

Aug.21 (GMM) A well-known motor racing personality has issued a scathing assessment of Valtteri Bottas’ ongoing suitability for a Formula 1 race seat.

With rumours about the Finn’s future swirling, Bottas headed into the August summer break admitting that the situation inside at Sauber at present is not “stable”.

“There’s been lots of people leaving, lots of people joining, now another change in the leadership,” the 34-year-old said when asked about the arrival of Mattia Binotto. “So for sure that doesn’t help the here and now moment.

“It’s been pretty clear, to me, that all the decisions in the last year or two has been made to be competitive from 2026. But my job is still to do the very best I can and contribute the best I can. That’s all I can do at the moment,” Bottas added.

Sauber’s new owner Audi clearly targeted Carlos Sainz for the other 2025 seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg, but several others have been mentioned, including Mick Schumacher – and even the retired Sebastian Vettel.

“Seb is suddenly of interest to Audi again,” Dr Helmut Marko told Osterreich newspaper, although he later clarified that he also mentioned Schumacher at the same time.

“What is certain is that he (Vettel) wants to race in F1 again,” Red Bull’s F1 consultant, and Vettel’s original mentor and boss, added.

As for Bottas, in an awkward moment of timing, he will vacate his Sauber cockpit in the initial practice session at Zandvoort in deference to Ferrari test driver and rookie Robert Shwartzman.

Dutch racing personality and driver Tom Coronel thinks the Finn should vacate his seat permanently.

“It’s always difficult when you go from the best team to the worst team, but he chose that himself,” he told the Dutch magazine Formule 1. “I honestly think it’s a shame.

“Do something else!” Coronel continued. “Go to Finland and do fun things and make funny videos, and give this seat to someone who needs it to gain experience and grow.

“All he’s doing is destroying the careers of the young ones. Zero world championship points? Get out of here! We call it ageing, and it’s like fish and fruit – at some point it starts to rot.”