“[Carlos Sainz is the] cork in the bottle” – Kevin Magnussen said earlier in the season. Surprisingly, his words seem to be true. With a major blockage in the driver market, teams are looking up to Sainz to make a decision. Now, it is difficult to predict how long it will take him to come up with a name. A ‘victim’ of this barrier is the Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas. Honestly, anyone in his position would’ve been discontent with Carlos Sainz’s delay. Moreover, the situation for Bottas is further turning tricky. Sainz and Bottas have intertwined their lives! But how?

Bottas was waiting for a confirmed decision before the Hungarian GP. But he only received confirmed disappointment. During the press conference, reporters asked the Finnish driver about his future in F1, and Bottas said there was no news. He is directly dependent on Sainz right now. Even his stay at Sauber for 2025 and ahead depends on ‘Chilli’.

“If I’m honest, I had hoped that things would be sorted out before this weekend,” Bottas said. But that didn’t happen. So the 34-year-old still has to wait, “but I don’t have a clear answer as to how long.” He hopes that his future will be clarified soon. Because after the summer break, it can be “pretty nerve-wracking” if he still doesn’t have a contract in his pocket by then. And he would like to avoid this scenario.

But unfortunately, Valtteri Bottas must wait a little longer. It looks like Carlos won’t choose the summer break, which means the driver market is going to get even more competitive with time. More drivers continue to enlist in the market; the recent one being Kevin Magnussen. The race for a team will only get tougher henceforth.

How is Carlos Sainz’s answer crucial for Valtteri Bottas’ future in F1?

Williams is not just looking out for Carlos Sainz, they have another driver in their mind. Guess who? Valtteri Bottas. Williams is trying to poach Bottas from Sauber/Audi. The 34-year-old debuted with the team back in 2013, therefore, the bond isn’t new. Meanwhile, James Vowles has also approached Sainz, but there is no news from the Spanish side.

On the other hand, Sauber ( Audi from 2026) is willing to give the Spaniard a seat. But there is a problem – Bottas and Sauber haven’t agreed to part ways. This again means, if Sainz agrees to the Sauber seat, Bottas could peacefully leave and join Williams. So the presumed lineup would be Nico Hulkenberg – Carlos Sainz for Sauber and Alex Albon – Valtteri Bottas for Williams. The deal isn’t bad, but choices need to be made.

Based on rumors, Sainz is advancing his discussions with Alpine, but there is no official announcement from either party. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas is stuck in the middle of nowhere. This is truly ‘nerve-wracking’. Could there be declarations before the summer break? Probably not. The 3-4 weeks of respite would be the perfect time for the drivers to reflect on their plans in the sport.

While Carlos is taking things at a sluggish pace, Bottas wants to proceed faster. The situation is like racing on a narrow track with cars in front and no place to overtake. Hopefully, the drivers and teams will reveal some news soon. Till then, share your takes on this below.