Valtteri Bottas has further voiced his disappointment after being snubbed for a seat at the Audi F1 squad. The German manufacturer will join the grid in 2026 and take over the Sauber-run outfit currently operating as Stake. Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto will drive for the team next year, replacing Bottas and team-mate Zhou Guanyu. Bottas joined the team when it ran under the Alfa Romeo name in 2022 and revealed now-Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur was a key reason he opted to sign for the squad. "Fred was a big part, I used to work with him before,” Bottas told media including RacingNews365. “There was a clear plan and targets for the three years and how to get there, but those plans went into the bin when he left.” When asked if Vasseur's exit was a blow for him, Bottas replied: "Of course it was. “We had a good relationship, but I don't blame him, because if you are a team principal, and you have the chance to go to Ferrari, you go.”

Bottas clause revealed

Audi's F1 announcement came several months after Bottas joined the team and the 35-year-old highlighted he was signalled as a major player for the squad's future. Various leadership changes have since occurred, with Mattia Binotto now heading the outfit after taking over from Andreas Seidl midway through this year. Bottas revealed he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave if Vasseur departed, but was encouraged by Audi's future - a plan he ultimately was not chosen to be part of. "When he left, it was quite late, and it was only at the end of the year, but I did have an option that if Fred goes, I can go,” he said. "But once Audi was confirmed they were joining, I got told I was going to be the pillar for the project, and that didn't happen - so that kind of had me over."

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