‘Valtteri Bottas joins Red Bull’ case made with perfect ‘stop-gap’ solution

Red Bull should sign outgoing Audi F1 driver Valtteri Bottas as Sergio Perez’s replacement for the F1 2025 season as a “stop-gap” solution alongside Max Verstappen.

That is the opinion of F1 broadcaster Jennie Gow, who believes the prospect of Bottas racing for Red Bull is not as “totally weird” as it sounds.

Valtteri Bottas the ideal Sergio Perez replacement at Red Bull?

Bottas is set to be left without a seat for the F1 2025 season after Audi F1, who will take over the existing Sauber team in 2026, announced this week that Gabriel Bortoleto will become Nico Hulkenberg’s team-mate for next year in an all new driver lineup.

The 10-time race winner has been linked with a reserve role with Mercedes, with whom he contributed to five consecutive Constructors’ Championship triumphs as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate between 2017 and 2021.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at last month’s Mexican Grand Prix – before Audi F1’s driver lineup was confirmed – Bottas revealed he “would consider ” returning to Mercedes in a backup role to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli for F1 2025.

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Perez is highly likely to be dropped by Red Bull at the end of F1 2024 after a disastrous season, with the Mexican driver trailing team-mate Verstappen by 242 points with three races remaining.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko recently confirmed that a final decision on Perez’s future will be taken after next month’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull VCARB driver Liam Lawson and Williams supersub Franco Colapinto are considered the leading contenders to replace Perez, with PlanetF1.com revealing at the recent Brazilian GP that Red Bull boss Christian Horner met with Williams counterpart James Vowles to negotiate a deal for Colapinto.

Colapinto has also attracted interest from Alpine, who are said to be more open than Red Bull to the possibility of a loan deal from Williams despite having a driver lineup of Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan already in place for F1 2025.

Appearing on The Fast and Curious podcast, Gow has claimed that Bottas is the ideal solution to Red Bull’s latest driver dilemma if Red Bull are unprepared to make a move for Williams-bound Carlos Sainz.

She said: “If I said the words to you, ‘Valtteri Bottas joins Red Bull’, would you find that totally weird?

“Just say Red Bull were looking for a stop gap for that second seat.

“If you looked at second drivers, someone who would just sit in that seat, do what they’ve been asked to do.

“He’s fast, he plays the team game very well. If they were looking for a stop gap, so they didn’t expose their younger drivers to too much too soon, I would say that would be a good fit.

“We know Carlos Sainz can’t go [to Red Bull], he’s already signed with Williams and the dads [Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr] don’t get on.

“So you can’t put him in that seat, but someone like a Valtteri Bottas [could work].”

Gow went on to describe her plan to place Bottas at Red Bull as “genius” – but conceded that the move is unlikely to materialise.

Asked if it is possible that Bottas could replace Perez, she said: “I don’t know. I don’t think so.

“I don’t think anyone’s [considered it], but all of a sudden I was like: ‘Have I come up with something?’

“It’s genius.”

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