Audi F1 branded ‘best option’ for out-of-contract F1 veteran with options wearing thin

Although Mika Salo has his concerns about Audi F1 after his Toyota days, the Finn believes Audi is the “best option” for Valtteri Bottas for the F1 2025 season.

Two decades ago, Salo was involved in Sauber’s project before switching to Toyota in 2002 when the Japanese manufacturer entered the sport.

Mika Salo has reservations after his Toyota days

Despite having one of the biggest budgets in Formula 1 and racing experience outside of the sport, as well as Salo and Allan McNish on the books, Toyota struggled to make their mark and after eight seasons and eight podium finishes exited Formula 1.

Today, or best to say come 2026, Audi is trying something similar.

However, unlike Toyota who tackled Formula 1 as a full-factory team to be established from scratch, Audi are taking over the long-established Sauber team.

The German manufacturer has already completed a full takeover of Sauber behind the scenes and in 2026 will rebrand the Formula 1, but in the meantime is putting its own building blocks into place.

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That included the recent departure of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto taking over as the Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer in the leadership team of Sauber Motorsport AG.

He’ll be assisted by soon-to-be-former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who will be Team Principal of the Audi F1 team in 2025.

But one thing that team is missing is a second driver for the 2025 championship.

Although Sauber/Audi has already confirmed German driver Nico Hulkenberg will join the team next season, they have yet to reveal if he’ll replace Zhou Guanyu or Valtteri Bottas. Or even if both current drivers are gone.

But while Bottas has tweeted a pic of an Audi road car with his ’77’ on it and Zhou has spoken of a “more” than 50 per cent chance of staying on the grid, Audi has given no indication as to who – if either – they want to retain.

Salo though, believes if Audi retain either of the current team-mates it will be Bottas who benefits from the manufacturer link-up.

“When I moved to Toyota, nothing already existed. It wasn’t exactly easy, and then there was the firing in the middle of it all. I hope Valtteri will be able to reap the benefits of this,” he told Il Talehti .

That, though, is where Bottas’ options for next season begin and end.

“Alpine is still in speculation, but I don’t really see any point in moving there. It would be better to continue with the current team,” said Salo.

“I saw him in Hungary. But I didn’t bother to ask him about this, because I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything anyway.”

He added: “It is believed that Valtteri will get a two-year deal,” he said. But after that “Tuukka Taponen” is the next option on Finland’s list with Salo hoping there “wouldn’t be any gap years.”

Sauber are currently last in the Constructors’ Championship as they are without a single point on the board in 14 races.

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