While Qatar was a positive, it still reflects Alfa Romeo’s season of sporadic chances to score points as a lower midfield team, and that’s not a position Bottas — or the team — will be content with as they move forward.
“No, we need more. We need more, definitely. I think everyone is on board with that in this team. The target is to be much stronger than this.
“When I signed with the team, that’s when I was already committed until the end of 2024, so it was always clear for me that the first part was this three-year journey and then we’ll see what happens. It’s nice to know everything is fixed for next year, and of course I have bigger hopes for next year than this year. The same in the whole team, everyone definitely wants more than this, so I think next year’s going to be quite important to see the progress we can make.”
It’s a telling comment. While all of the talk had been around Audi’s arrival in 2026 and what a coveted seat that will be, Bottas has a few reservations. Not about the German manufacturer’s planned arrival — something that currently is attractive to him — but if the Sauber-run team continues to struggle for point-scoring opportunities then he could end up being part of the driver market fun in 12 months’ time.
“I think there could be a lot of movement when there’s a year like that and many contracts expiring, but let’s see. We’re going to talk about the future with the team early next year and then we’ll see. I don’t need to stress or worry about it yet.
“For me personally of course the direction we are going to be taking in terms of results next year is going to have an effect on my decisions as well, but at the moment I would definitely be happy to commit for the long-term for what’s new for the team in 2026.