After Andreas Seidl’s move from McLaren to the Sauber group as CEO, former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher feels that Valtteri Bottas might not be with the team for long.
Schumacher believes Seidl’s management of the drivers could be different, and it could raise questions regarding the Finnish driver’s future with the team. He referred to certain rumors about the same while talking to MotorsportTotal.
The 47-year-old said:
“I’m curious to see what ideas Andreas Seidl has with the drivers, there are also rumours.”
Schumacher also spoke about Guanyu Zhou, who joined the team with Bottas in 2022. He stated that since the Chinese driver brings in “a lot of money,” his position with the team is relatively safe.
“Zhou is more or less set, brings a lot of money with him, which is significant until 2026, when Audi really comes in. But Bottas, you hear a bit, is counted on and should not necessarily stay there too long.”
Valtteri Bottas joined the Sauber group (who currently race under the name Alfa Romeo in Formula 1) in 2022, after his time with Mercedes came to an end. Given his racing experience, Bottas was partnered with Guanyu Zhou, the rookie of the 2022 season.
Valtteri Bottas confident about his presence during the 2026 transition
Valtteri Bottas had earlier talked about being with the team in 2026, when Audi will make Sauber their works team.
“Why not? I’m 33 years old now, so I hope that I’m going to be there,” Bottas said.
However, as mentioned before, Schumacher is unsure about Bottas’ future under the new boss. After Frederic Vasseur announced his decision to join Ferrari next season as the team principal, Andreas Seidl left McLaren to join the Sauber group as the CEO.
It is worth noting that under Seidl, Daniel Ricciardo left McLaren, so the same could happen here. However, Valtteri Bottas’ performances have been impressive this season, so it seems unlikely in the immediate future.
Andreas Seidl joins the Sauber Group as Chief Executive Officer, starting in Jan 2023.
He will be tasked with continuing the growth of the group as Sauber keeps establishing itself as one of the brightest sporting, industrial entities around.
Story:clean-group.com/motorsport/f1-…
Andreas Seidl joins the Sauber Group as Chief Executive Officer, starting in Jan 2023. He will be tasked with continuing the growth of the group as Sauber keeps establishing itself as one of the brightest sporting, industrial entities around. Story: Sauber- group.com/motorsport/f1-… https://t.co/Lm0RTaGWYW
Schumacher also added that Andreas Seidl would be the right person to control the team after Audi’s takeover in 2026, given his experience with Porsche prototypes earlier and his time with McLaren.
While the grid is fixed for the 2023 season, Bottas’ performances next year will be interesting to watch.
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