The Sauber driver is in the third and final season of his existing deal with nothing yet locked away for 2025 and beyond.

Speaking at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, the honorary Aussie made no secret of his desire to remain with his current team.

Sauber is poised to become the factory Audi team for the 2026 season with work underway now to prepare the team for that transition.

That has already seen the German car company increase its interest in F1 with news that it will acquire the team in its entirety.

It was initially only poised to take on a 75 percent stake, with current majority owner, Finn Rausing, maintaining the balance.

Remaining with the Swiss-based team is therefore an appealing prospect but not a guaranteed one.

“It’s not my first time in this position,” Bottas said of the fact he’s in the final year of his current deal.

“But to be honest, it doesn’t even make a difference because you definitely want to showcase what you can do.

“I really want to carry on. I really want to get close to the top, fighting for proper results,” Bottas said.

“I see an opportunity in the Audi project.”

“I think that’s interesting always when you have a big manufacturer like that entering the sport. I think it’s an opportunity for me.

“That’s the priority, but if not, I think the drivers’ market is pretty wide open still for now going to next year.”

More than half the grid is out of contract at the end of the season, with only Ferrari and McLaren having confirmed lineups for 2025.

Mercedes offers arguably the most attractive seat though other opportunities exist at Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, RB, and Haas.

Sauber also has two drives thus far unaccounted for, which come with the lure of Audi’s formal involvement from 2026.

Bottas will be 36 years old at the beginning of that season, though he doesn’t see that as a barrier as he plans to remain the sport.

“I don’t have a number on the number of years because I don’t see my time in F1 ending any time soon,” Bottas he admitted.

“I’m now 34. Fernando Alonso is [42], so he’s a good reference.”

Bottas made his F1 debut with Williams in 2013 before a five-year stint with Mercedes from 2017 that netted him 10 grand prix wins.

His best result since joining Sauber at the start of 2022 was fifth in that year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.