Valtteri Bottas has been rooted to the back of the Formula 1 field this season in an underperforming Sauber and faces an uncertain future with Audi incoming.
The Swiss team are the only F1 outfit yet to score a point this year with eight races to go and have floundered throughout the year with both Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Bottas’ future is also uncertain as the incoming Nico Hulkenberg prepares to lead the team towards 2026 when Sauber transform into Audi.
The Finnish driver has now spoken about the championships that Bottas would like to race in if Formula 1 isn’t open to him anymore and sees IndyCar as a serious option.
Sauber’s lead driver said, via quotes by PlanetF1, that racing in IndyCar would be appealing in the future should Bottas’ time in Formula 1 be over. He would also be following in the footsteps of many F1 drivers, including Romain Grosjean, by moving to IndyCar.
Valtteri Bottas believes ‘it would probably be IndyCar’ if he had to leave Formula 1
Bottas has driven in Formula 1 since 2013 and won 10 Grands Prix while racing for Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton between 2017 and 2021.
But the 35-year-old is out of contract with Sauber at the end of the season, yet he is being considered by Audi to be kept on given Bottas’ valuable experience.
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IndyCar, however, has been a popular destination for drivers at the end of their Formula 1 career, as well as for younger drivers who didn’t get an opportunity to race at the highest level.
Bottas explained he is open to all the choices but admitted that IndyCar and racing in North America would be the most likely championship beyond F1.
He said: “I think I would have to monitor all the options, what makes sense for the future, for the short term and long term. But for sure, I would be racing something. If I would have to decide now, it would probably be IndyCar. But I don’t want to think about it too much yet.”
Being fast in Formula 1 doesn’t guarantee success in IndyCar
IndyCar is a tough series with the added aspect of racing on ovals that takes some adjusting to for drivers who aren’t experienced in North American racing.
Ovals also present a steep learning curve, with a unique driving technique and steering wheel tools such as the weight jacker.
Double F1 world champion Fernando Alonso also tried and failed to win the Indy 500 on three occasions, even getting bumped out of the race by Kyle Kaiser in 2019.
Grosjean has also had moments of brilliance during his career after taking multiple podiums, but the Frenchman hasn’t won a race yet.