“There’s a certain person within the Red Bull organisation that for some reason is not a big fan of mine”

16:13, 05 Jun

byTobia Elia

Valtteri Bottas says he's ready to return to Formula 1 as a full-time driver and would accept a potential call from Red Bull, but "someone" might stand in his way.

After competing in every season from 2013 to 2024 with Williams, Mercedes, and Sauber, Valtteri Bottas was forced to temporarily hang up his helmet this year. He gracefully accepted a return to the Mercedes family as a reserve driver, hoping to secure a race seat in 2026.

Compared to many of his much younger colleagues, the Finnish driver brings a wealth of experience at the highest level—both with top teams and midfield outfits—as the driver market is set to heat up in the coming months.

However, unlike last year, the driver market appears to be much more limited this season, with only a handful of seats still available. Among them are those at Cadillac, which is set to make its Formula 1 debut in 2026 and is still on the lookout for drivers.

Another top team still waiting to clarify its driver line-up for next year is Red Bull. Max Verstappen continues to be at the center of intense market speculation, while Yuki Tsunoda could be heading toward the same unfortunate fate as Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson.

Bottas open to joining Red Bull, but...

Speaking about a potential call-up from the Milton Keynes-based team on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Bottas said he would be open to discussions — although a certain someone doesn’t seem to be particularly fond of him.

“It just 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,” the finn said.

“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. Obviously 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.”