Valtteri Bottas has admitted Carlos Sainz scuppered his chance to return to Williams for the 2025 Formula 1 season, in an exclusive interview with Motorsport Week.
Bottas has been consigned to spending the current campaign on the sidelines amid Sauber’s choice not to renew his contract to hire rookie Gabriel Bortoleto instead.
The Finn, who made his F1 debut with Williams in 2013 and remained at the team until 2016, had been in discussions with the Grove-based squad about a comeback.
However, that didn’t come to pass as Williams boss James Vowles succeeded in his bid to sign Sainz, who lost his position at Ferrari to the incoming Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas, who will return to the grid next season with the all-new Cadillac team, has divulged that a contract with Williams was being readied until Sainz changed things.
“I like working with him [Vowles] and I was actually, yeah, pretty close to signing with them for this year,” Bottas exclusively told Motorsport Week in Austin.
“Yeah, last year we had the contract already, so it was pretty close.”
When asked why the deal wasn’t completed, Bottas frankly admitted: “Carlos Sainz happened. So, yeah, that’s F1.”
Bottas credits Vowles with major impact at Williams
Sainz’s decision to snub Alpine and Sauber to head to Williams appears to have been an inspired one as the team leads the midfield with over 100 points this season.
Bottas has credited Vowles, whom he worked with during his time a Mercedes, as having a crucial role in revitalising the nine-time Constructors’ Champions fortunes.
“Yeah, I think they’re definitely getting on the right track,” he assessed. “They’ve [Williams] made progress.
“Still a bit variable weekend to weekend, but if you look at where they were a few years ago, they’ve done a great job.
“I think backing now, they are behind [a] good investment group, and also James has brought so much knowledge from Mercedes, so he’s done really well.”
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