Mercedes has been weighing whether to continue with Bottas for a sixth season next year or replace the Finn with George Russell, who is widely expected to get the nod.
Should Bottas leave Mercedes, a move to Alfa Romeo is on the cards after the team tops his shortlist for 2022 if he becomes available.
Mercedes is expected to make an announcement in the coming weeks about who will be working with Lewis Hamilton.
When asked if he knew where he would go next year, Bottas replied: “Maybe I’ll do that, maybe not.”
It was a repetition of his answer from last week in Belgium.
“I don’t want to say much more,” said Bottas. “You know, things are going in the right direction. And I’m happy and excited. “
He added that there would be no news about his future this weekend.
Bottas always had one-year contracts throughout his time at Mercedes, having signed for the team in 2017, initially as a late replacement for Nico Rosberg after the German resigned.
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Bottas, who had previously spent four years at Williams between 2013 and 2016, said that a multi-year contract beyond 2022 could also be secured – as part of a challenging and exciting project.
“Yes, a multi-year contract would be nice,” he said.
“I’ve never experienced that in Formula 1. That could definitely give you a good, full commitment to the team, not just this year, but knowing that the work will continue.
“And it has to be challenging. It has to be exciting. It has to be fun, in an atmosphere in which I really enjoy working.
“I think these are really the most important things I’m looking for. But as I said, I still have a few years ahead of me in Formula 1.
“I really want to continue in Formula 1.”
After Kimi Räikkönen’s decision to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of the season, a seat at Alfa Romeo has become vacant for 2022.
PLUS: Why is the right time for Raikkonen to hang up his F1 helmet
If Bottas were to switch to Alfa Romeo, there would be some parallels to Raikkonen, who took the seat of a retired compatriot in 2002 when he switched to McLaren to replace Mika Häkkinen.
Alfa Romeo’s second seat is currently occupied by Antonio Giovinazzi, whose future remains unclear beyond the end of the season.
The post Bottas wants a multi-year F1 deal “I’ve never had before” in 2022 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
