Valtteri Bottas leaves the Stake Sauber team, which will become Audi in 2026, and must still secure his future, which we already know will not involve a regular role in Formula 1. The Finn seems to arouse the interest of Mercedes for a return to the team for which he raced for many years alongside Lewis Hamilton and where he achieved all of his successes in F1, but this time as a test driver.
Brought after the last GP of the season, in Abu Dhabi, to describe his feeling on the progress of Audi's F1 project, about which many observers still ask big questions, the one who was able to see the influence implementation of the interior by the German manufacturer gives some details, and seems to support the reasons to fear that Audi still has a lot of work to master to show itself at the required level in F1.
What has changed the most since Audi took over the team?
“A lot of people have changed. Additionally, people were laid off or joined the team in different roles, leading to a lot of turnover. It took time to find the stability and structure of the team. But at the beginning, it was a bit of a mess, with departures and arrivals. »
You know the quality of Mercedes. What is the true potential of the Audi project?
“It will be a big challenge and they know it. I think they've been focusing on the power unit for a long time and they've invested a lot, so they're going to do a good job. But all the other teams and engine manufacturers have been in this sport for a very long time. However, they have the resources and the potential. My biggest concern is the chassis. It's not made by Audi, it's still made by Sauber, so the chassis really needs improvement…”
It's always been difficult to attract engineers from British teams, or to see people come and go after a year because it doesn't work for them personally in Switzerland. Do you think they will ever get out of this situation?
“That’s a good question – I hope so. I hope they find a solution and the latest changes to the budget cap rules in another country will help Sauber. If they have positive momentum, more people will be keen to join, but so far the brand's beginnings have been difficult…”
