Toto Wolff says he is staying in the background as Valtteri Bottas contemplates his F1 future, including a move to Alpine to replace Franco Colapinto.
Bottas was dropped by Sauber last season at the end of a wretched campaign that saw the team finish bottom of the Constructors’ Championship, but he was quickly snapped up by his former F1 team, Mercedes.
Could Valtteri Bottas join Alpine?
Signed as the team’s reserve driver as well as a mentor to rookie driver Kimi Antonelli, Bottas has made it clear that he does not believe his days on the Formula 1 grid are over.
The 10-time Grand Prix has been linked to F1’s soon-to-be 11th team, Cadillac, teasing fans on social media about the seat.
Posting a video of himself looking at a Cadillac SUV, Bottas said: “What a nice seat. I see there are two seats – both seem free.”
A voice off-camera invites him to try sitting down, but Bottas replies, “Not yet.”
But that is reportedly not Bottas’ only option.
In fact, the Finn could be back on the grid this season already with Alpine reportedly knocking on his door.
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Alpine started F1 2025 with Jack Doohan as Pierre Gasly’s team-mate but as his run of races hit six on the trot without a point, they dropped the Australian driver in favour of Franco Colapinto.
However, F1 2024’s super sub for Williams also isn’t producing the goods.
While Gasly brought his A525 home in sixth place at the British Grand Prix, adding eight points to Alpine’s tally, Colapinto once again failed to score after an issue with his car meant he didn’t take the start.
Colapinto was expected to start from the very back of the grid after crashing in qualifying, but Alpine changed his car’s engine components ahead of the race meaning a pit lane start. Alas, it was a weekend that went from bad to worse for the Argentine driver.
It also kicked the Alpine rumours into high gear.
Bottas was asked about that by Viaplay at Silverstone.
Viaplay: “So you’ve had discussions with Flavio Briatore?”
Bottas: “Yeah, you could say that.”
But while the Finn wouldn’t engage any more on the subject, his team principal Toto Wolff had a bit more to say.
Asked if he had spoken with Briatore about his driver heading over to Alpine, Wolff replied: “A few times, actually.
“I saw him today and we talked about Valtteri. It seems that the interest in Valtteri is increasing even more.
“He deserves that seat. If someone grabs him as a race driver, we’ll let him go. Of course, with a tear in the corner of our eye.
“Ultimately, I give him advice as a friend. Valtteri ultimately makes the choice with his management.
“I try to stay in the background.”
Having replaced Doohan on a five-race deal, Colapinto entered a race-by-race stage in his deal with Alpine at the British Grand Prix. And race one of that did not go his way.
The driver crashed in qualifying, putting him P20 on the grid, and necessitating a pit lane start as the team had to fit a new engine on his car. He didn’t get going, his race over even before the start due to a problem with the car.
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