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Formula 1 veteran: “Didn’t expect it”

Valtteri Bottas has had a difficult few weeks.(Bild: APA/AFP/GREG BAKER)

Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas has already experienced a lot in the "premier class" and is currently facing a new challenge. The Finn will soon have to look for a new racing team and has now also been given a new race engineer.

The Sauber-Audi deal with Nico Hülkenberg was recently made public. This makes it clear for Sauber driver Bottas that he will have to look for a new cockpit for the coming season. However, the possibility of him staying is not completely ruled out. "Yes, I'm talking to several teams. The driver market is in full swing. And Nico as a German makes perfect sense," explained the Finn dryly.

Ahead of the Grand Prix in Miami, his racing team has now surprisingly appointed a new race engineer. Steve Petrik replaces Alex Chan, with whom Bottas had worked since the 2022 season. Petrik came from Ferrari, which some see as a piece of the puzzle for a possible signing of Carlos Sainz.

"It's out of my hands"
Bottas was caught off guard: "I didn't expect this, especially before a sprint weekend. I think it's part of rebuilding the team. Some people come, some people go. And some decisions are out of my hands."

Things have not gone according to plan for the 34-year-old so far this season. The ten-time race winner is therefore also looking for a new challenge. Possible new teams for the Finn could be Alpine, Williams or Haas.