Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas opens up about his retirement plans from F1
Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas recently mentioned that he could see himself racing in F1 in his 40s.
The former Mercedes driver is currently on a long contract with the Swiss-based team, who are trying to utilize his experience and take the team forward before Audi takes over in 2026.
The 33-year-old is one of the older drivers on the grid, but has no plans of stopping in the sport anytime soon. Speaking with GiveMeSport, Valtteri Bottas said:
"10 [more] years [in F1] sounds a lot but, like, getting close to 40 I have no problem with that. Because I think it's been shown that you can perform if you take care of yourself and have the fire inside. I'm 33 and have seven years until I'm 40 so why not."
The Finn also added that modern day drivers are able to have more longevity, saying:
"You look at someone like Mika Hakkinen who retired quite early in his 30s. I think maybe back in the old days obviously the sport was way more dangerous as well. And now there's technology and simulators and everything to help you practice so much so you can stay sharp and that helps too."
Valtteri Bottas on the possibility of a seat at Audi in 2026
Valtteri Bottas stated that he would be excited to race for Audi if he ws given the chance, but claimed that he was focused on honoring his contract with Alfa Romeo first.
The Finn said:
"If you look at the history, you need to be a brand to win. It's very difficult to win as a customer. It has been done in the past but not very often. [There's been] nothing yet. I still want to respect the partnership with Alfa Romeo and not get things mixed. I want to try to keep it simple for next year and then see what happens."
Bottas added:
"I think there's a good plan ahead and the team is next year looking forward to the long term. The ability to know what's coming in the future and the plans will help and I'm sure we can already start doing some collaboration."
Valtteri Bottas would be a viable option for Audi in the initial years of their entry in F1 given that he is a race-winner with a lot of experience that could help the German manufacturer. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 10-time race winner.