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Valtteri Bottas has finally broken his diplomatic silence, naming Sauber as the Formula 1 team he was most excited to leave during a recent appearance on Hot Ones Versus alongside new Cadillac teammate Sergio Perez. When pressed by Perez to identify which of his five F1 teams he was "the most excited to leave," Bottas didn't mince words: "Stake F1 team [Sauber] I was quite happy to leave at the end because of the circumstances, but I had some good memories too."
The admission marks a stark contrast to Bottas's typically measured public statements, offering rare candor about a three-year stint that ultimately disappointed both driver and team.
Bottas's journey with the Swiss-based outfit began promisingly in 2022 when he joined Alfa Romeo under the stewardship of Frederic Vasseur. His debut season yielded respectable results, with the team securing sixth place in the constructors' championship while Bottas accumulated 49 points—a far cry from what would follow.
However, Vasseur's departure to Ferrari at the beginning of 2023 proved catastrophic for Bottas's future prospects. "There was a clear plan [with Vasseur] for targets for the three years, and also how to get there," Bottas explained. "But those plans and targets went into the bin when he left." Though he possessed a contractual option to depart alongside Vasseur, Bottas remained with the team after assurances from Audi that he would become a cornerstone of its Formula 1 project.
"I was always told I would be a pillar for the project. Well, that didn't happen."
The root of Bottas's frustrations lay with successive leadership decisions at Sauber. Andreas Seidl's appointment as CEO coincided with a strategic pivot that sidelined the experienced Finn. The signing of Nico Hulkenberg to a three-year deal in early 2024—widely believed to be a Seidl preference—signaled Bottas's diminishing role in the team's long-term planning.
The arrival of Mattia Binotto as chief operating officer and chief technical officer in mid-2024 briefly rekindled Bottas's hopes. However, Sauber's subsequent recruitment of Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto to partner Hulkenberg for 2025 delivered the final blow. For the first time in his professional career, Bottas failed to score a single point throughout an entire season, finishing 22nd in a 20-car championship.
Reflecting on his departure, Bottas described his Sauber tenure as "a mistake," though he remained diplomatic about the circumstances. "I'm relieved that this section of my career is over, and now I'm really looking ahead and going to work hard to make the best plan of how to be back on the grid," he said post-Abu Dhabi in December 2024.
After spending 2025 as Mercedes' reserve and third driver, Bottas returns to the Formula 1 grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season. The Finnish driver's renaissance represents a remarkable opportunity to prove his worth alongside Perez, particularly given Cadillac's considerable resources and ambitions.
For Bottas, the chance to drive for a new constructor represents far more than a statistical restart—it symbolizes liberation from a disappointing chapter and vindication of his belief that his best years in Formula 1 remain ahead.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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