P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Valtteri Bottas has admitted that he ended up in an “unlucky situation” with the circumstances that have resigned him to enduring a period on the sidelines from F1.
Valtteri Bottas was overlooked for his previous seat at Sauber, as the team chose to sign rookie Gabriel Bortoleto to complete the new lineup alongside Nico Hulkenberg. Bottas, who had been with Sauber since 2022, had hoped for a renewal to be part of the team’s expansion into a works Audi setup in 2026. With Sauber opting for different drivers, Bottas has secured a reserve role at Mercedes for the upcoming F1 season. Despite his solid performance at Sauber, where he out-qualified his teammate 21 out of 24 times, Bottas was unable to retain his seat for 2025. Bottas had considered other options, including talks with Williams, but ended up without a race seat for the upcoming season. He expressed understanding of the unpredictable nature of the sport and emphasized his commitment to a longer-term project, even in challenging times.
