Valtteri Bottas expresses his growing desire to remain with Sauber amidst its transition into the Audi Formula 1 era while encountering certain challenges in terms of competitiveness. Valtteri Bottas signed a two-plus-one-year contract with his team before the 2022 season. Bottas has avoided making too many assumptions about the team's future. However, he has recently acknowledged the potential benefits of his continued involvement as Alfa Romeo undergoes a rebranding process and transitions into the Audi brand. The new team is scheduled to debut in Formula 1 in 2026. Valtteri Bottas says the entire team is diligently striving to facilitate a smooth transition to Audi, without causing any disruptions to their existing team plans and ongoing progress. Valtteri Bottas has scored five points for Alfa Romeo in the current season. As a result, he has surpassed Guanyu Zhou in points. A recent qualifying performance in Hungary stunned observers, who had not expected much from the team given its lacklustre season to this point.
F1: Alfa Romeo to Stay in F1
Despite the termination of their cooperation with Sauber at the conclusion of the current season, Alfa Romeo is poised to continue its presence in the Formula 1 championship in the upcoming season. According to a source, it has been reported that Alfa Romeo is poised to establish a partnership with Haas in the year 2024. This collaboration would involve the rebranding of the Ferrari engines utilised by the American team under the Alfa Romeo moniker.
The anticipated announcement of Alfa Romeo's collaboration with Haas is projected to occur during the Italian Grand Prix, scheduled for the first weekend of September. Alfa Romeo achieved their most notable individual performance in collaboration with Sauber during the 2019 season when Kimi Raikkonen secured a fourth-place finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix. The 2007 World Champion has amassed 57 points over the course of three seasons with the partnership, making him the most successful driver in that time for the Alfa Romeo-Saiber F1 team.
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F1: Alfa Romeo’s 2023 Season so Far
From 2024 forward, it appears that Alfa Romeo will no longer be referred to by its previous name, as Audi is increasing its investment in the team formerly known as Sauber in preparation for a full acquisition of the Swiss outfit in 2026. In the previous year, Alfa Romeo achieved a total of 55 points, which secured their position in sixth place in the Constructors' Championship. The first nine races accounted for 51 of Alfa's total points because they were one of the few teams to continuously meet the minimum weight limit throughout the season. As the season progressed, rival teams were able to reduce surplus weight from their vehicles, pushing the Hinwil-based team down to the bottom of the grid, where they have mostly remained in 2023, scoring only nine points in the first twelve Grands Prix.
Zhou's ability to match wits with his more seasoned teammate Valtteri Bottas has not gone unnoticed by the Sauber management, despite Alfa's current ninth-place standings. Although Zhou's existing contract is set to conclude at the end of 2023, there is a widespread belief that he will secure a renewed agreement for the 2024 season.
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