Valtteri Bottas strongly implied that he will rescue his F1 career by staying at Sauber ne🦹xt season.

Two race seats remain vacant before the 2025 F1 driver line-up is complete, and one of them belongs to 🙈Sauber who have signed Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg for their other car.

That means either Bottas or teammate Zhou Guanyu will lose their spot - but the former Mercedes veteran appears likely to c🀅ling on.

Bottas was asked at the F1 Azerbaijan ♐Grand Prꦛix whether he remains “99%” confident of staying, and he replied: “Yes.”

Is he in talks with other motorsport series as a cꦅontingency plan?

“Not anymore,” he confirmed.

Bottas said about the status of his talks with Sauber: 🦩“Still talking. Progressing. I am still positive.

“♊I shouldn’t really ▨say much, but that’s where we are.

🔥“There are still many things to discuss. Both parties ne🧔ed to be happy. But we’re going in the right direction.”

The deci♛sion for Sauber appeared to hinge on whether they prefer the experience of Bottas💎 or the potential of a rookie.

Gabrie♏l Bortoleto is among the F2 drivers strongly linked with a promotion into F1.

“Yes, I think it’s pretty strꦕaightforwarജd,” Bottas admitted about Sauber’s consideration.

“I don’t want to say more,♚ but you’ve got an🥃 idea of the situation.

꧑“My strength is experience and what I🐷 can bring to the team.”

He continued: “It’s not odd, it’s jus💯t the sport. I feel like I’m in a good situation at the moment.

“I can’t tell you more.

“It’s pretty clear𝄹 what I🥃 want, and hopefully we’ll get there soon.”

Sauber are the only F1 team to have not scored a single point this 🅘season. Bottas and Zhou are rooted at the foot of the drivers’ 🌜standings.

Bottas was asked if his car’s lack of comp💎etit🌟iveness has almost cost him his F1 career.

“This sport is unfair,” he said. “ꦺI’ve seen that many times. I am in a difficult situation becaꦚuse of the performance of the car.

“Mattia knows what he can get from me. Hopeful💛ly I𝓰’ll be here next year, the car will be better, and I can show a bit more.”

Mattia 𒆙Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, has joined ahead of the team’s evolution ꦜinto Audi in 2026.

Bottas said abou🃏t the new boss: “He has learned that there is a big mountain to climb, it won’t be an easy road.

“We have𒁃 built a good relationship, good respect, both ways.

“We catch up regularly about technical stuffꦑ and team personnel. He has been learning a lot but is now starting to take action.

“He is starting to get a clear picture of what 𒐪we🐻 need.

“We need actions, we need change. The last 🔜two years things have been going downhill so something needs to change.”