Hamilton Responds to Bottas' Farewell as Sauber Ends F1 Contract

Hamilton Responds to Bottas’ Farewell as Sauber Ends F1 Contract

Lewis Hamilton showed his support for Valtteri Bottas by commenting with a hugging emoji on Bottas’ farewell message following the announcement that the Finnish driver would not continue with Sauber for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner, joined Sauber in 2022 after leaving Mercedes. While he often outperformed his teammate Zhou Guanyu, it wasn’t enough to secure his position as a potential leader for Sauber’s future transition into the Audi project.

Sauber’s New Direction

Earlier this year, Sauber secured Nico Hulkenberg, now 37, as a driver for 2025. In search of a younger prospect for the second seat, team principal Mattia Binotto chose Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto over Bottas, signaling a fresh start. This decision has left Bottas in a difficult position, with limited options on the F1 grid. The only remaining seat is with VCARB, and most competitive spots in other series, such as IndyCar, are already filled.

Bottas Reflects on Career and Looks to the Future

In a video on Instagram, Bottas addressed his fans, thanking them and his team for their support. “Hi everyone, I guess you might have seen the news that I won’t be racing in Formula One with Sauber in 2025,” he said. “I wanted to just take this opportunity to thank you all for all of the support out there, in the past, and now and in the future. And also a big thanks to the team for everything. When one door closes, another one opens, and I’m actually very excited for the future and what is next.”

Among the messages of support was a heartfelt comment from Hamilton, his former Mercedes teammate, who responded with a hugging emoji. Zhou, Bottas’ current teammate, also expressed appreciation, writing, “Loved every single moment we had mate, best team-mate ever.”

A Potential Reserve Role at Mercedes

There are reports that Bottas may return to Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025, though this would not allow him to reunite with Hamilton, who is expected to join Ferrari. During their time as teammates from 2017 to 2021, Bottas and Hamilton formed a close friendship, frequently traveling to races together and maintaining contact. Hamilton has often spoken highly of Bottas, calling him “the best team-mate I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” and praising his resilience and character.

Bottas’ future remains uncertain, but his positive outlook suggests he is ready for new opportunities beyond Formula 1.