Valtteri Bottas is currently on the sidelines waiting for a new opportunity (Image: Getty)
has admitted that he might be forced to accept another season as ’ test and reserve driver if he is unable to find a way back onto the grid for the 2026 campaign. Bottas enjoyed a strong 2024 campaign relative to Sauber team-mate but was unable to score points in an uncompetitive car, finishing bottom of the Drivers’ Championship standings.
With the new Audi era fast approaching, Mattia Binotto opted to overhaul his driver line-up, dropping Bottas and Zhou and signing Haas’ and later reigning Formula Two champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
The late timing of this decision left Bottas without hope of securing a full-time seat for 2025, and so he was forced to slot into a test and reserve driver role with , the team with whom he spent five seasons and recorded all 10 of his Grand Prix victories.
Looking ahead to what 2026 could hold, Bottas told Formule1.NL: “I’m really focused on Formula One now, but it’s difficult to predict the future. Maybe next year, I’ll still be in the same role I am in now. But next year still feels a long way off at the moment. But then I have to consider the alternatives.”
Valtteri Bottas could make the move over to IndyCar (Image: Getty)
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Previously, Bottas has discussed moving across the pond to compete in the NTT IndyCar Series should his F1 return fail to materialise. Providing an update, he explained: “IndyCar would definitely be a good option,” although he went on to add: “I’m not really thinking about it at the moment.”
If Bottas makes the move to the United States, he will join a grid filled with former F1 alumni. Alexander Rossi and Marcus Ericsson have both established strong careers in IndyCar, and Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi were in seats as recently as 2024.
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As for F1 return options, Bottas will need to wait for the first dominoes to fall. Cadillac represents the most logical route back onto the grid for Finn and the many other drivers waiting patiently for another opportunity.
F1’s newest team will have two free seats to compete for and will be in the market for an experienced driver who can help them in the transition phase during the first handful of seasons. In this regard, Bottas will be at the forefront of the conversation along with , and .