P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A new race engineer for Valtteri Bottas and a new driver for Stake has caught the Finn off guard.
Valtteri Bottas was surprised and left baffled by a sudden major change in his team’s ‘backroom’ line-up for the next season, as well as the swift decision to bring in a new driver. He enters the Miami Grand Prix with a new race engineer, Steve Petrik, replacing Alex Chan. The team did not provide a specific reason for the switch, especially considering the pressure of another sprint weekend. Bottas acknowledged the abrupt change and the challenges of working with a new engineer but is focused on maximizing the situation. He mentioned that team decisions, including personnel changes, are not within his control. While Bottas’ future with the team remains uncertain, the appointment of Nico Hulkenberg signals a potential shift, with Audi entering F1 in 2026. Bottas acknowledged the move for Hulkenberg caught him off-guard but understands the rationale behind Audi’s decision to sign a German driver. He is unsure about his plans for next season but mentioned being in talks with multiple teams, with some discussions more advanced than others.
