Bottas and his management team knew Bortoleto offered a significant threat, so they began working on a back-up plan in the form of a reserve role at Mercedes in parallel. It is believed the two parties have been in talks for several weeks.
Bottas has a great relationship with Mercedes and boss Toto Wolff after spending five years with the outfit. During this time, he secured all 10 of his Grand Prix wins and 58 of his 67 podiums.
Someone with his immense experience and drive would be useful to the eight-time world champions, who are going through a difficult patch to sit fourth in the pecking order behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.
READ MORE: Who is Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know about Kick Sauber’s new recruit
Aside from being a strong option if Mercedes needed a substitute, his feedback and efforts in the simulator would be invaluable.
For Bottas, such a role will keep him visible in the paddock and in the conversation as he targets a return to a race seat in 2026. He can stay sharp in the simulator and there could potentially be opportunities for him to drive F1 machinery.
Now that Sauber have made their move, sources say talks between Mercedes and Bottas are set to accelerate in the coming days and weeks.
Swiss
