Valtteri Bottas: Moving to Sauber was a mistake. There was a clear plan, but after Wasser left it went into the trash
10.01.2025
Bottas called the move to Sauber in 2022 a mistake. The Sauber driver ended the 2024 season with a retirement at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - this is the Finn`s last race for the team.
Bottas has no contract for next year and is not in contention for any of the available seats. It is expected that the driver will become a Mercedes reserve or try to return in the 2026 season.
Amidst the backdrop of stepping down from his role as F1`s main driver, Valtteri shared some thoughts on recent seasons. In particular, he considers the decision to move to Sauber in 2022 (then the team was called Alfa Romeo) to be a mistake.
It was a mistake. It is impossible to predict the future; in the first year everything started well, but then it went downhill. Yes, the future cannot be predicted, that’s all true. “I just want to make sure my next step is a good one - hopefully there will be better times ahead, ” the pilot said.
Bottas noted that after the 2021 season he had the opportunity to continue his career with Williams, but he chose Sauber due to then team principal Frederic Vasseur - who moved to a similar position at Ferrari in 2023.
Valtteri knows Vasseur from his performances for the ART team in junior formulas - then it was led by the Frenchman.
Fred was a big part of [Sauber], I worked with him before. There was a clear plan and goal for three years, there was an understanding of how to achieve it - but when he left, these plans went into the trash. We had a good relationship and clear goals. His departure changed a lot.
I don`t blame him for this, because if you are a team leader and you have the opportunity to go to Ferrari, then you will agree.
Of course, [after Wasser left I looked for other options to continue my career], but when he left it was quite late, it was the very end of the season. I had an option in the contract: if Fred left, then I could leave too, but. . . As soon as Audi confirmed its participation in F1, I thought that I would become a pillar of the project, but this did not happen.
Bottas also said a few words about the past Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
It`s a pity that today everything didn`t go the way I wanted. It all started with the Checo [Perez] incident. I was on the inside trajectory, and he took a too narrow one: according to the rules, of course, he could do that, but I couldn’t just disappear. Got a [10 second] penalty for that. It`s a pity.
After that I tried to defend as hard as possible on the old tires. I think Kevin [Magnussen] was just unlucky to be there because I was just going straight [after the tires locked up].
For the incident with Magnussen, the Sauber driver was given a penalty after the finish: he was punished by the loss of five positions at the start of the next race and three penalty points.
Oh, no. This is not good. Perhaps I will ask them to replace the fine with a monetary one, then I will pay it, ” Bottas reacted.
What happened at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Leclerc took the podium from 19th! Verstappen took out McLaren at the start!
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