Valtteri Bottas has revealed he has received an offer to compete in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, but needs to sort out his future before committing.
The Finn is out of a seat for 2025 and is in talks to return to Mercedes F1 as a reserve to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with incumbent Mick Schumacher set to leave to focus on full time at Alpine in WEC.
Bottas discusses the possibility that this role would require him to be on hand for all 24 Grands Prix, which would limit his options for testing or racing with other cars, such as IndyCar's flagship event.
“I received a solid offer for 2025, but only for the Indy 500,” he confirms today in Qatar.
“We haven't really given any details, but first I need to figure out what my 'day-to-day' job will be for 2025.”
“I don't mind the ovals, I've never tried it, but it doesn't bother me. It depends if I'm going to be at every Grand Prix or not, and obviously the options are less limited, but the Indy 500 has always been on my list.”
“I'm a fan of V8 supercars and that sort of thing, so I'm pretty open, but first I have to decide what the next step is and then we'll see.”
“It's a conscious decision, because it's happening a little too quickly. Going into a full IndyCar season after 12 years in F1, I just feel like it's happening a little too quickly. It's a lot “There's a lot of work and familiarization to do, so it takes a little time to figure out what's next.”
Bottas is obviously monitoring the arrival of Cadillac F1.
“Yes we talked, I think I'm not the only one, but of course it's interesting for me and I think it's great for F1. It's a great brand, GM is a great support , so it’s definitely an interesting project.”
“I think it only increased the chances of getting a seat for 2026, which is ultimately the goal. But, if not, there are a lot of other interesting things in other series.”
“In 2026 I still have a chance to drive a good car. My priority remains Formula 1. If it's not Formula 1 in 2026, then it's really interesting for me for the future to consider the 'IndyCar or something.'
“For example, I haven’t been allowed to do any rallying for the last two years, so it would be nice to get back into it a bit and have some fun.”
And how are his discussions with Mercedes progressing?
“We're talking and it's going well. There's still a bit of work to do, but we're talking. The priority for me remains Formula 1, I feel like I'm not done with this sport yet “So I think being there, being able to test, etc., is good and I think it gives me a chance for 2026, because in this sport you never know what happens.”
“There is also a new team (Cadillac) coming in, which means two extra seats, which obviously increases the opportunities for 2026.”
