EXCLUSIVE: Valtteri Bottas hits out at doubters with ‘short memories’

Valtteri Bottas insists he is “not finished” with F1 as he continues his search for a seat on the 2025 grid, in an exclusive interview with Crash.net's Lewis Larkam in Austria.

The Finn is one of several drivers out of contract next season and either he or teammate Zhou Guanyu will lose their drive after Sauber signed Nico Hulkenberg from Haas.

Despite seats quickly running out, Bottas remains confident about remaining on the F1 grid next year. Ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, he told Crash.net he believes he still has “three options”.

“There’s still opportunities,” he said. “I think there’s more than two at the moment, still. Probably three options. Here is one for sure.

“We are still talking in here. Just need a bit more time. There’s options, that’s a good thing, and I’ve got my priorities as well.”

Although he wouldn’t be drawn on exactly which teams he was referring to, they are likely to be Williams and Alpine, as well as his current employers Sauber.

Bottas suggested that he is waiting on outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to make a decision first, with the Spaniard believed to have offers on the table from Williams, Alpine and Sauber.

Asked if he would be at peace with the prospect of ending up without a drive for 2025, Bottas replied: “I’m not finished yet with the sport, that’s my feeling.

“I definitely still have years to go and much to give for the sport and the team I will be with. That’s my feeling. I’m not ready for that.”

Statistically, Bottas is the most attractive free agent available on the driver market given he has the most victories and pole positions, yet the 34-year-old does not have a drive secured.

“On the driver market with whose free at the moment, yeah for sure, that’s a fact,” he said when those statistics were put to him. “So I hope that will help me.

“People can have short memories in this sport, but the people who know, they know what I can do and that’s the main thing that I need to trust - that okay that will sort me out.

“It’s always the sport, it’s not just pure performance. There’s other elements. Your nationality, if you have a sponsor package or not, these kind of things. It’s the name of the game. It’s not always fair.”