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Bottas is out of contract at year end, though expected to remain with Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg for next season.
The potential however remains that his contract isn’t extended, and the coming six races mark the end of his F1 career.
While that’s not an outcome the adopted Aussie is focused on, having seen Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the sport after Singapore, he conceded that circumstances can at times decide for you.
“I think that the ideal scenario would be that you decide when it’s time,” Bottas told Speedcafe when asked about not necessarily being able to end his career on his own terms.
“That’s ideal, but it’s not how the sport sometimes works.
“There’s many elements. There’s a lot of politics, you name it.
“It’s a difficult sport on that, but I just hope that eventually I can pull the trigger, let’s say, not the other way around.
“But you never know.”
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While for the most part reaching F1 now is more meritocratic than it once was, thanks largely to the improved financial position of the teams, performance alone isn’t the sole metric for a driver.
There are broader considerations too; commercial fit, nationality, relationship with others, age, and even the demographic of their fanbase.
That was seen at RB when Ricciardo was let go.
While the Australian’s performances weren’t setting the world alight, cutting him loose on those alone would be a harsh decision – especially given a recent uptick had seen him out-perform Yuki Tsunoda.
But there were other considerations at play, such as what role the RB squad plays going forward, and future-proofing the organisation.
Ricciardo didn’t fit into that plan, demonstrating how on-track performance is only one element in the decision making.
“I think in this sport, you learn to deal with that,” Bottas said in acknowledgement of the uncertainty external factors can create for a driver.
“I’ve been around here quite a while now and it’s just.. you learn the name of the game, and you just learn to accept what the sport is.
“I think every year, with more experience, you become more fine with this world and what can happen.
“Everything can happen in this sport, and very quickly.
“I’ve definitely realised I’m fine with that. You know how the sport is, but I’m still hungry for more and that’s the main goal, and I’ll keep pushing for that.”
Though his future remains unconfirmed, Bottas remains steadfast on remaining in Formula 1.
He’s been with Sauber for three seasons, and is looking to extend that despite currently propping up the drivers’ championship without a point to his name.
There is however light at the end of the tunnel, with just one more season under its current guise before becoming the Audi factory team in 2026.
“I want to be feeling the success again, fighting them in a decent position and actually hitting their targets,” the 10-time race winner declared.
“I’m just hungry for success and better results. That’s all.
“I think it’s just natural for me. I’m a very competitive person inside and, [for] example, the scenario of finishing my career like this, pretty much without points, no thanks. It’s not the way I want things to go.
“I’m just hungry for success.”
