Valtteri Bottas strongly implied that he will rescue his F1🥂 career by staying at Sauber next 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 foཧr tꦯheir other car.

That means either Bottas or teammate Zhou Guanyu will lose their spot - but t♈he former Mercedes veteran appears🅷 likely to cling on.

Bottas was asked at th꧅e F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix whether he remains “99%” confident of staying, and he re𓂃plied: “Yes.”

Is he in tal💟ks with other motorsport series as a contingency plan?

“Not anymore,” he confirmed.

Bottas said about the status of his talks with Sauber: “Still talking. Progr🐼essing. I am still positive.

“I shouldn’t realꦯly sಞay much, but that’s where we are.

“There♒ are still many things to discuss. Both parties need to be happy. But we’re going in t🥂he right direction.”

The decision for Sauber appeared to hinge on whether they prefer the experience of Bottas or the potential of a🦂 rookie.

Gab🔜riel Bortoleto is among the F2 drivers strongly linked with 💟a promotion into F1.

“Yes, I think it’s pretty straightforward,” Botta🐻s admitted about Sa🐲uber’s consideration.

“I don’t want to say more🔯, but you’ve got an idea of the situat꧑ion.

“My strength is experience and what I can bring 💜t𒐪o the team.”

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

“I can’t tell you more.

“It’s pretty clear 𝓡what🎶 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 ꦏthe drivers’ standings.

Bottas was asked if his car’s lack of competi🎃tiveness has almost cost him his F1 career.

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

“Mattia knows what he can get from me. Hopefully I’ll be here next year, the car will be better𒆙, and I can show a bit more.”

Mattia Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, has joined ahead of thꦰe team’s ev꧋olution into Audi in 2026.

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

“We have⛦ built a good relationship, good respect, both wa🌳ys.

“We catch up regularly about technical stuff and team personnel. He has been learning a lot but is now s♕tarting to take action.

“He is starting to get a clear picture of w🌠hat we need.

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