F1 insider reports unrest at Sauber as Valtteri Bottas gets a new race engineer for the Miami Grand Prix

F1 journalist Will Buxton has reported an internal turmoil within the Sauber F1 team with Valtteri Bottas bringing a new race engineer for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous for Bottas. The former Mercedes driver, who joined Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber in 2022 (then Alfa Romeo), is yet to impress on the race track so far this season, and finds himself at the bottom of the drivers' standings at 20th position.

Adding to the turmoil was the recent announcement confirming that Nico Hulkenberg, currently a driver for Haas F1, will join Audi next season.

As he endeavors to salvage his career trajectory and secure a future at Audi, slated to replace Sauber in 2026, the Finnish driver encountered a setback with the announcement of Nico Hülkenberg as Audi's inaugural driver for the upcoming season.

With all the chaos that has ensued, the latest report from eminent journalist Will Buxton has revealed a sudden change in Bottas' crew. He revealed via X (formerly Twitter):

"Unrest at Sauber as key changes made at the team between China and Miami. Bottas has a new race engineer, which was highly unexpected."

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F1 analyst contemplates Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes return

With Lewis Hamilton set to depart from the team at the end of the 2024 season, Mercedes are left without a teammate for George Russell come 2025. While the team continues to weigh its options for a Hamilton replacement, various names have swirled around the media for a potential Mercedes move next season.

Amidst the rumors, Tom Clarkson, the host of F1's Beyond The Grid podcast, recently shared his opinion on the matter. According to Clarkson, Mercedes are aiming for their 18-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli to fill in Lewis Hamilton's shoes. However, given his age and lack of Formula 1 experience, Valtteri Bottas has emerged as a potential candidate to join Mercedes on a short-term contract.

Clarkson stated in a recent episode of F1 Nation podcast:

"Mercedes are going to be looking for a one-year stop gap in my book. That doesn’t appeal for Carlos Sainz, he’s going to want a longer-term contract than that. (via msn.com)

"I wonder whether Bottas could be that stop gap for Mercedes in 2025. He knows the team very well. He’s won 10 races and it’d be a much better option for him than anything else that’s on the table."

Valtteri Bottas, who turns 35 later this summer, has zero points to his name after five races. His most recent outing at the Shanghai International Circuit ended with a 20th-place DNF.