P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Valtteri Bottas is a contender for a seat at Audi, who will arrive on the F1 grid for the 2026 campaign when fresh regulations come into play.
Valtteri Bottas sees Mattia Binotto’s arrival at the Audi F1 project as an opportunity to restart contract negotiations. Binotto has taken on the roles of chief technical and chief operating officer for the project, following the sudden exits of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann. Binotto, who previously worked at Ferrari, became team boss in 2019 and will now be joined at Audi by team principal Jonathan Wheatley. Bottas acknowledged the swift changes within the team but expressed optimism for the future, recognizing the need for time to assess strengths, weaknesses, and priorities under the new leadership. Despite the transitions, Bottas remains focused on securing a seat at Stake, which will evolve into Audi in 2026, where he may face competition from other drivers like Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. Bottas emphasized the importance of adapting to the changes and expressed confidence that the team will weather the adjustments and rise stronger in the future.
