Valtteri Bottas has hit back at claims that he has already secured a one-year contract extension to remain with the Audi-backed Sauber team next year, dismissing the reports as "fake news."
The rumour came from veteran Formula 1 journalist Roger Benoit, known for his deep connections, who wrote in Blick that Sauber had been "cowardly" in passing up the opportunity to bring in a promising rookie for the seat.
After hearing about the latest speculation, Williams boss James Vowles urged Audi and Sauber to carefully consider Franco Colapinto as an alternative option.
"If I were in their position, I would take the time to see how Franco performs in the next two races, maybe even a little longer, and then make a decision," Vowles suggested.
Meanwhile, a Sauber spokesperson advised Bild newspaper to treat the Bottas contract rumours with scepticism.
"This is all just speculation," they stated.
"Nothing has been decided yet. There will be a decision at the end of September at the earliest."
This timeframe aligns with what another candidate for the seat, Mick Schumacher, has also been told.
"There will be a decision in September," Schumacher confirmed to Sky Deutschland in Singapore. "So we have to wait and see what happens in these weeks."
Schumacher admitted, however, that he may need to start considering other options. "I will deal with it when the time comes and plan A does not work. Plan B must be in the back of my mind," he added. "I don't know where that will go at the moment."
Bottas' current teammate, Guanyu Zhou, also believes Sauber has yet to make a final decision regarding who will join Nico Hulkenberg in the driver lineup next year.
"I would say there is a 50 percent chance that I will stay," Zhou said, though he admitted, like Schumacher, that having a backup plan is essential.
"All I can say is that a lot of good and very strong teams from other series have already contacted me," Zhou noted. "I'm not going to mention who, but a few in different categories. But at this stage, I'm fighting for my place at Sauber."
As for Bottas, the 34-year-old Finn strongly rejected the claims from Blick that his one-year deal for 2025 is already finalised.
"Fake news, that's what you can say about that," he told Viaplay after qualifying in Singapore. "Nothing is signed."
He added: "A one-year contract is not my goal here, but we'll see more next week. Let's keep a cool head."
