Carlos Sainz is currently the major obstacle delaying the forthcoming, ongoing and tumultuous early driver changes for the 2025 season.
This perspective comes from Valtteri Bottas, who appears set to leave the Audi-owned Sauber team by year's end.
Now under the complete control of Volkswagen's subsidiary Audi, the Swiss outfit has confirmed Nico Hulkenberg for one of next year's seats—a move Bottas, in Miami, described as "making sense" due to Hulkenberg's German origins.
With Audi also courting soon-to-be-former Ferrari driver Sainz for the remaining seat, both Bottas and his current teammate Guanyu Zhou are exploring options with other Formula 1 teams.
"Everyone wants to race for the best team possible," Bottas conveyed to DAZN during the Miami Grand Prix.
The ex-Mercedes victor believes it's clear that Sainz is hesitating to commit to Audi while there might be better opportunities.
"Surely they're trying to sign for Red Bull," Bottas noted, referring to Sainz's entourage.
"The second option would be the second fastest car that is available, which would be Mercedes," he continued.
"And surely he is also negotiating a contract with Audi," Bottas added. "It will be very important to see how the pieces fit together in the coming weeks."
The true dilemma for the Spanish racer Sainz is the pause in decision-making by both Red Bull and Mercedes for their 2025 lineup, especially with the potential availability of Max Verstappen looming.
While some speculate that Bottas may choose retirement over a less competitive future, he maintains his commitment to Formula 1.
"I don't know if I'll last as long as Fernando (Alonso)," he mentioned, "but I do see myself here for many more years."
