Valtteri Bottas has ‘bigger chances’ to stay at Sauber/Audi under new regime

Valtteri Bottas believes he now has “bigger chances” to retain his seat at Sauber for next season under the F1 team’s new management.

Former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has been hired to oversee Sauber’s transition into Audi as chief operating and chief technical officer, replacing outgoing CEO Andreas Seidl and chief representative Oliver Hoffman.

The overhaul to the Swiss outfit’s management, coupled with Carlos Sainz’s decision to join Williams over the summer break, has seemingly come at a good time for Bottas, who reckons Binotto’s arrival has “reset” the team’s decision-making process over their sole-remaining 2025 seat.

Bottas revealed he has held early discussions with Binotto and hopes his arrival will boost his chances of holding onto his drive to partner the incoming Nico Hulkenberg.

“We had a quick talk after Spa and we continued the discussions this week. That’s where we are at the moment,” Bottas told media including Crash.net ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Asked if he thinks his chances of staying in F1 have improved following the Williams-Sainz announcement, Bottas replied: “For sure it means there is one driver less, so yes, I think it’s a fact there’s probably bigger chances now.”

Jack Doohan looks favourite to land the other vacant seat at Alpine, but 34-year-old Bottas insists his “priority” is being part of the Audi project.

“It did feel for the last six months or so that I wasn’t a top priority,” Bottas explained.

“Obviously there was one signing before me and the team and the management were looking for all the options with sometimes quite little communication. But now it feels a bit different. There’s been a clear reset and now there’s a clear structure at the top, who is doing what. I think that’s positive going forward.

“Mattia comes from a team that has been super successful. He knows what a good team really needs, so I think it’s good for the future of this team.”

Bottas added: “He knows me a little bit and now we’ve got to know each other better. We used to be competitors when I was at Mercedes and he was at Ferrari.

"But it seems like he’s got respect for me and I’ve got respect for him, which is a good starting point for the discussions.”

Asked if he has a timeframe in mind to resolve his future by, Bottas said: “Yeah we are already in August, soon September.

“So I think the sooner the better for everyone. I think that’s what everyone agrees. But that’s how it is sometimes.”