They wanted to believe in it until the end, but it is now a given: neither Valtteri Bottas nor Guanyu Zhou will be starters at Sauber in 2025 then at Audi in 2026. The Swiss team, which will switch to the German flag at the time of the new technical regulations, has in fact decided to rely on the youth of the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (20 years old), current leader of Formula 2 ahead of the Frenchman Isack Hadjar, to support the veteran Nico Hülkenberg (37 years old) in this transition towards a new era .
Aged 35 and 25 respectively, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou do not have the same pedigree in F1, but find themselves at the same stage of their careers. While neither driver has scored the slightest point this season in the premier category of motorsport, not helped, it must be said, by endless pit stops at the start of the year and a chaotic single-seater since then, the here it is about to leave the grid with little chance of return. Not necessarily for the same reasons. Bottas because of his age, even if the recent examples of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg prove that you should never say never, Zhou because of his results. In three seasons at Hinwil (Alfa Romeo then Stake Sauber), the Chinese only scored 12 points, that is to say an average of 0.18 units gleaned per Grand Prix (on the evening of the Brazilian result).
While there is only one place left to take at Racing Bulls for next year (barring any twists and turns), Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will probably have to find something other than a regular seat in F1 to continue in motorsport . A reservist position in one of the twenty stables on the plateau could be a solution. The Finn also mentioned a potential return to Mercedes in this role. “ I have to consider all alternatives, including a return to the Mercedes family. It is of course a possibility and I am considering it, but there are also other options “, he declared during the Mexican Grand Prix. A status in which he could showcase all his experience. Bottas, like Zhou, could also keep a foot in the discipline by occupying this role of third driver at Sauber/Audi. The financial support of the second named would not be negligible while the Volkswagen group will close three factories in Germany with the objective of saving four billion euros. We could also imagine the Chinese returning to Alpine, still in a reserve role.
Endurance as a fallback solution for Bottas or Zhou?
With its massive influx of manufacturers, which shows no signs of stopping, Endurance could be a fallback solution for both men. As it has been more or less recently for other former Formula 1 players, the most recent examples being Mick Schumacher at Alpine and Nyck de Vries at Toyota. Neither Bottas nor Zhou have ever publicly discussed their interest in WEC or IMSA, but endurance racing is currently the hottest motorsport discipline behind F1. You only need to see the entry list for the last Rookie Test of the World Championship to be convinced. Places are expensive for 2025 with only the arrival of Aston Martin as a new manufacturer, but Hyundai will enter competition in 2026 with an LMDh program, potentially waiting for McLaren in 2027. So many doors that will open for drivers like Bottas and especially Zhou, who could follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Yifei Ye, winner this year in Austin with Ferrari alongside Robert Kubica and Robert Shwartzman.
What if a more exotic discipline managed to attract Valtteri Bottas? In 2023, the Finn took part in the Adelaide Motorsport Festival where he took the wheel of a former Supercars. In a relationship with professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, the native of Nastola (Finland) has probably become the most Australian of the Scandinavians. Participation in the emblematic local championship would bring him even closer to his partner’s country. And if he does not continue in motorsport, Valtteri Bottas has demonstrated in recent years that he will have plenty to do once he retires, between his naked photos and his passion for cycling. He recently participated in the Gravel World Championships in his age category. An idea for full-time retraining for 2025?
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