Logan Sargeant may see a familiar face on the IndyCar grid next season, if the rumours are true, with “several teams” interested in signing F1 race winner Valtteri Bottas.
Although it is being widely claimed that Sargeant’s days in Formula 1 are numbered, there are a few more question marks – Williams and Audi-shaped ones – regarding Bottas.
F1 news: ‘Several teams’ reportedly interested in signing Valtteri Bottas
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper
The Finn made his Formula 1 debut back in 2013 with the Williams team and more than a decade later it is being speculated his career could go full circle.
Seeking to replace Sargeant after the American’s struggles in Formula 1, Williams turned to Carlos Sainz as their number one target and it was even suggested that the soon-to-be-former Ferrari driver was on the verge of signing.
That, though, was scuppered when Alpine put a rival offer on the table while more recently Red Bull and Mercedes have again emerged as options for the three-time Grand Prix winner.
Sainz’s indecision has led to Williams looking for a Plan B, team boss James Vowles confirming “yes” he does have one, and that is said to be Bottas.
However, should Sainz block his chances of staying on the grid, either at Williams or Audi, Bottas could find a home in America’s IndyCar series.
According to French publication Auto Hebdo, the 10-time F1 Grand Prix winner “could bounce back in IndyCar where several teams have expressed their interest in him, but F1 remains his priority.”
They, however, did not reveal which teams are interested in the Finnish racer.
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As for Bottas, he told the media at Silverstone, including PlanetF1.com, that plans for his future are progressing in a positive manner.
“I feel like things are starting to progress and get closer, I think in a good way, hopefully,” he said. “But, still have nothing to announce here and nothing has been signed but progressing.
“I think I’m in a good position. Some people in the paddock still, luckily, know what I can do, what are my strengths to be part of a team. But it takes time finalising things to be 100% confident.
“It’s not frustrating. It’s actually exciting. I mean, it’s part of the sport and we’re actually still in July. I’ve been in this situation before that I’ve had to wait until September or October.
“So, I think we’re still in a decent situation.
“If you would ask me in October, if we’re in this situation, then it may be starting to get frustrating, but in July, not really.”
But unlike his team-mate Zhou Guanyu’s frustrations over Sainz holding up the driver market, Bottas says that’s part of the game.
“Sometimes that’s how it goes,” said the former Mercedes driver. “And I think I mentioned last week, and it’s in this sport, it’s not always about pure performance, either.
“There’s many elements that decides the team’s priorities. So, it’s part of the game.”
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