Mercedes Formula 1 reserve and test driver Valtteri Bottas says he is open to a move to Red Bull should they need another driver alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Afrosport reports.
The 35-year-old Finn could not secure a permanent seat for 2025 after losing his spot at Sauber to Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
Bottas remains hopeful that he can get back on the grid in 2026, and an opening could be at Red Bull, who have struggled to have a competitive teammate for Verstappen since Sergio Perez was axed at the end of 2024 and have already used Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda this year.
While he is interested in joining the energy drink-backed team, he hinted that a high-profile figure in the team is not a fan of him.
“It just [got] put down quite quickly because I think there’s certain persons, or a person, within the Red Bull organisation that for some reason is not a big fan of mine,” Bottas said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“I don’t know if they look outside their academy. They have so many drivers, they’ve got their junior team as well.
“It’s a tough one because it seems like it’s not an easy car to drive. Max is doing the job. He’s really pushing almost beyond the limits of the car. And whoever has been alongside him hasn’t looked great. But I don’t know. I just wonder if that car, to be driven fast, needs a driver with experience.
“That’s my speculation, but I think they know that I’m keen to race. They know that I would be available for next year. But I don’t know their mindset on that.”
Alpine is another team that could need a second driver, with Jack Doohan and currently Franco Colapinto racing alongside Pierre Gasly.
When asked if Bottas could join Alpine, he replied: “They do have a Mercedes power unit for the future, which I think is a good call.
“They’re on the second driver this year, and I think the next races will show how that goes again.
“Experience can always help, but there’s lots of politics in this sport. I don’t have tens of millions to pay for a seat, for example.
“It depends on the team, but I do have some personal partners that could potentially join me, but not to the extent of some others.
“Let’s wait and see if you race to see how things go. You never know if something opens up.”
Valtteri Bottas discusses all the options he has for his next move, including the possibility of returning with Cadillac’s all-new team
Watch the full Beyond The Grid interview on our YouTube channel
#F1
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 4, 2025
Bottas spent five years alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, finishing second and third in the drivers’ championship two times each.
