10x F1 race winner spotted leaving Williams hospitality as rumors of a return surface

10-time F1 race winner Valtteri Bottas was recently spotted in Williams' hospitality center at the 2024 F1 Imola GP. Rumors of him making a return to the British team have been gradually surfacing.

Ever since Audi announced that they would join F1 and merge with Sauber in 2026, questions about their future driver lineup sparked. In April, Sauber announced that they hired Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 F1 season. Though the team has not confirmed which driver Hulkenberg will replace, rumors of Bottas being removed from the team have picked up speed.

Valtteri Bottas' first ever F1 team was Williams. He raced for the British team between 2013 and 2016 and bagged nine podiums for them. In 2017, he joined Mercedes in place of Nico Rosberg, who won his only championship in 2016 and decided to retire from F1.

British media outlet Autosport's official X account recently posted pictures of Bottas leaving the British team's hospitality center. They claimed that he had a 15-minute meeting with team principal James Vowles. James Vowles and Valtteri Bottas are no strangers to one another either. Bottas has worked with Vowles for several years at Mercedes.

This rumored meeting sparked debates about Finn potentially returning to his first F1 team if Sauber decides to replace him.

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F1 pundit predicts Valtteri Bottas's potential move to Williams and other moves in the driver market

F1 pundit and Dutch presenter Jack Plooij recently predicted that Valtteri Bottas could make a return to Williams. Along with this, he also predicted the entire F1 driver market transfers before they take place.

Speaking on Ziggo Sports, Plooij predicted that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will stay in Red Bull. George Russell will be partnered with young Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes. Pierre Gasly stays in Alpine and Jack Doohan joins him. Valtteri Bottas returns to the British team alongside Alex Albon. Yuki Tsunoda stays in RB with Liam Lawson. Carlos Sainz joins Nico Hulkenberg in Audi. Young Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon join Haas.

“Verstappen and Perez are staying. Russell is already there, at Mercedes, and we will place, yes, Kimi Antonelli there. Gasly stays at Alpine, and then Jack Doohan joins. Bottas returns to Williams with Albon. Yuki Tsunoda is doing very well, so he can stay. Lawson gets the chance, he can do it, at RB. Then Sainz goes to Audi and Bearman goes to Haas. And then comes the biggest one: Ocon is also going to Haas!” Plooij said.

As of now, no official announcement has been made whether Valtteri Bottas will join Williams or not. The Finnish driver currently preparing for the 2024 F1 Imola GP with Sauber.