Formula 1 | Lehti: Valtteri Bottas is gambling with his extension contract

Nearly speculation that continued throughout the F1 season Valtteri Bottas the future is still waiting for a decision, and now the German Bild magazine has told, based on his sources, what the situation is about.

There is only one driver available for next season in the F1 series, as Sauber has not locked up its other driver.

Bottas has been featured as one of the top candidates since the beginning, and the man has announced that he wants to continue with the team.

There was already news about the extension contract in the media, but no confirmation has been received from the team or Bottas. Instead, one driver after another has been raised as the man’s competitors, among the latest being a German Mick Schumacherwho has been acting as Mercedes’ back-up driver since last year.

However, according to Bild, Schumacher’s game has been played if Bottas decides so. It’s about the money.

“The contract was already drawn up, but Bottas is gambling for money. If the veteran sticks to his high standards, Mick Schumacher can be in the game again. If Bottas settles for less, Mick is out,” writes Bild.

There is no complete certainty about Bottas’ salary, but according to informed estimates, he will earn around nine million euros this season. He is among the top ten highest-paid drivers in the series, but Sauber has not received any World Cup points due to his efforts this season.

Bottas and teammate Guanyu Zhou have both driven through the 18 races of the season without a single ranking in the top ten. At best, Bottas has been 13th this season.

The next attempt is next weekend, when the Austin race in the United States is on the program. After that, there are still five races left in the season.