Valtteri Bottas is expressing doubts about Sauber's immediate prospects as it evolves into Audi's official Formula 1 team for the 2026 season and beyond.
The Finnish driver, a 10-time grand prix winner, recently admitted that committing to a three-year contract with Sauber was a career move he now regrets. After failing to score a single point in 2024, Bottas also finds himself without a race seat for the current season.
Now 35, Bottas is returning to Mercedes as a full-time reserve driver for the year ahead.
"The biggest difference will be when the lights go out on Sunday," he told Australian F1 photographer Kym Illman. "I'll be watching from the outside and that will be strange and it will definitely take some getting used to, but I'll try to keep busy."
Sauber also made significant changes to its driver lineup, parting ways with Guanyu Zhou at the end of last season. In 2025, experienced F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg and reigning Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto will take the wheel of Sauber's cars.
"No idea what to expect out of Bortoleto," 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve told Action Network. "No idea. Formula 2 has never been a good judge of drivers."
Bottas is even less optimistic, not only about 2025 but also the start of the Audi partnership in 2026. "My biggest concern is the chassis," he told Sky Deutschland.
"It will not be manufactured by Audi, but will continue to be manufactured by Sauber.
"The chassis side definitely needs to be improved."
Reflecting on the team's progress to date, Bottas remarked: "It has been a difficult start for the brand (Audi) so far."
Audi F1's boss, Mattia Binotto, acknowledged that some progress had been made during the latter part of 2024. However, he also conceded that Sauber faces numerous challenges to become competitive.
"There is much less production and technical capacity, a very outdated simulator and also around 400 fewer people than at a top team," Binotto said.
Explaining the team's struggles further, the former Ferrari chief added: "This team has only survived for the past ten years. It has been in survival mode, making the best of the situation."
Despite the obstacles, Binotto is confident in Audi's long-term vision. He confirmed that the goal remains to "be successful by 2030" in Formula 1.
