‘What’s next’ hinted at by Valtteri Bottas in latest social media post

With just three races remaining in his Formula 1 career with Sauber, Valtteri Bottas has made it clear he intends to enjoy “what’s next”, whatever it is.

Sauber announced earlier this week that neither Bottas nor Zhou Guanyu would continue with the Formula 1 team next season as conditions “could not be met”.

Valtteri Bottas: “What’s next?”

For Bottas, those conditions were the duration of the deal.

“We had several talks about the journey, the length, duration of the journey, the difficulties we may be facing the next season,” Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto told the media including PlanetF1.com.

“We know that the next one will be a difficult season as a team, as a journey to towards the Audi F1 transformation.

“It’s a long, long journey and I think that’s mainly on the duration where we reflect together a lot, and it’s when we came and I came to the conclusion that maybe we need to have a young driver with us.

“So it has been really a mutual understanding, if not agreement. Certainly a mutual understanding of the situation, the facts of what’s required.”

The decision, at least for now, marks the end of Bottas days on the F1 grid as every one of the teams except the Red Bull outfits have confirmed their drivers.

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But while he is being tipped to return to Mercedes in a reserve and test driver role, Bottas has been having a bit of fun on Instagram as he answers one question of “what’s next” to the next.

From jet-ski to yoga to lunch to tastings, it’s clear the 10-time Grand Prix winner won’t be wallowing during his time away from the grid.

He could even dovetail his potential test driver duties by competing in an Ironman competition because apparently that’s what he does when he wakes up in the morning for fun.

From a 3.8km swim in a pool, tumble turns included, to a 180km ride on a stationary bike, followed by a 42.2km run, he completed the Ironman distances in 11 hours.

As Bottas put it when he confirmed his Sauber exit: “When one door closes, another one opens – and I’m actually very excited for the future and what’s next.”

Bottas will be back on the Formula 1 grid in Las Vegas later this season as he chases his and Sauber’s first points of the campaign in his final triple-header with the team.

Sauber will field an all-new line-up next season with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Borotoleto.

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