Will Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu be back on the grid for Stake F1 in 2025? According to the Swiss Blick.ch, this will not be the case. The team, which was known as Alfa Romeo last year, is said to have two other drivers in mind. The name of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz is not new. The Spaniard has long been associated with a switch to Stake, which will continue as Audi from 2026. The name of the second driver is less obvious.
Since it was announced that Audi was moving to Formula 1, Sainz has been considered one of the main candidates for a seat at the German brand. Now that the three-time Grand Prix winner has to make way for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after this season, the road to Audi is clear. However, several teams, including Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, are said to be interested in the Spaniard’s services. However, Blick expects his future to lie with Audi.
However, Stake even seems to want to say goodbye to both Bottas and Zhou next year. The team based in Hinwill seems to see Nico Hülkenberg as Sainz’s ideal teammate and, according to Blick, is almost done with the German driver from Emmerich. Hülkenberg has an expiring contract with the American Haas team, but at 36 years old he is no longer the youngest and has never been on the podium.
Bad news for Bottas and Zhou
If the stories are true, this will mean the end of Bottas and Zhou at Stake. Both drivers can then look for a new employer. This may be easier for Bottas, who is a proven Grand Prix winner, than for Zhou, who has hardly managed to impress in recent seasons.
