Valtteri Bottas makes key contract demand after latest Mattia Binotto meeting

Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas.

Valtteri Bottas and Mattia Binotto met this week to further discuss a potential contract for the Finn at Stake next season.

Bottas is one of a few drivers left to secure their place on the grid next season and with Nico Hulkenberg already confirmed, there is just one seat left at Stake which Bottas hopes to fill.

Valtteri Bottas ‘only interested in multi-year deal’

To earn that contract, Bottas must impress new boss Binotto who took over in July after Andreas Seidl was given the sack.

Speaking ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Bottas revealed he spoke to Binotto after Zandvoort to continue their discussion over a new deal.

“We continued the discussions this week,” Bottas told media including PlanetF1.com in Monza. “I was at the factory on Tuesday and making progress.

“But we’re not going to sign contracts here [at Monza]. We’re here to race and focus on bouncing back off the difficult weekend.”

As for the particulars of a potential deal, Bottas revealed he is only interested in a multi-year extension, which would take him into 2026 and Audi’s arrival on the grid.

“I’m only interested in a multi-year contract,” Bottas said. “Because for me, doing just one year, I know that next year probably won’t be easy for my career. That’s not that interesting.

“So for me, the main thing is to be part of a clear project and to have a clear plan for the years ahead. At this stage of my career. I think that’s important.”

Audi’s hesitancy to commit to Bottas would suggest some apprehension about granting the Finn his wish and the former Mercedes driver conceded his options to stay in F1 were “limited.”

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“That’s how it is,” he admitted. “Of course, it has crossed my mind and I’ve had to think ‘what if I’m not in Formula ?’ but I think it’s still too early to think about that for the next years ahead.

“I’ll always be racing something. That’s what I’ve done all my life. For sure, I won’t just stay on the beach.”

‘Luck’ needed for Stake F1 points score admits Valtteri Bottas

The difficult weekend Bottas referred to at Zandvoort did not come in isolation with Stake looking likely to be the first team to score zero points since Williams in 2020.

Asked if luck was needed for the team to be in the points, Bottas admitted that was the case.

“At the moment, we need luck to get into the points by the pace. It’s not enough to get into the top 10 that’s the fact at the moment.

“We haven’t found big enough steps, that obviously comes a lot from the development at the factory, some other teams made bigger steps.

“I think Alpine was a big example. We’re ahead of them in the beginning of the year, but now they’re clearly ahead.

“So we haven’t found enough lap time. I think the base car that we started the season with wasn’t that far, but from the beginning to now, we just haven’t made big enough steps.

“I think that’s the biggest issue. For sure, in the beginning of the year, lots of the resources were fixing the pit stops and obviously we don’t have as many people as the biggest team. So any issues we have will always take some resources from the team.”