Valtteri Bottas is still uncertain about his plans for 2025.
Monday’s F1 news saw reports linking Valtteri Bottas with a move back to Williams, which PlanetF1.com understands to be a serious possibility.
Let’s now turn our attention to the latest updates from Imola. Alongside Thomas Maher’s insightful reporting, here are the main headlines from Monday.
F1 news: Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel and more
Valtteri Bottas to return to Williams?
Reports from Australia’s Speedcafe and Finland’s VSabladet have confirmed the speculation linking Valtteri Bottas with a return to Williams from 2025, as per PlanetF1.com.
After beginning his Formula 1 journey with the Grove-based team, Bottas dedicated four years to his career there. However, in 2017, he made a significant switch to Mercedes. Interestingly, he was recently seen at Imola in the Williams motorhome.
Over the weekend, Bottas personally addressed the speculation, while the team disregarded any driver market “rumors” stating that they were not focused on them. The confirmation of one seat alongside Alex Albon in 2025 is still pending.
Read more: Logan Sargeant out, Valtteri Bottas in at Williams with no place for Kimi Antonelli – report
Sebastian Vettel gives latest view on F1 return after Imola outing
Sebastian Vettel, who currently possesses Ayrton Senna’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8, displayed evident emotions as he drove the car around Imola this weekend. In a touching tribute to Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who tragically lost their lives at the same circuit three decades ago, Vettel held the flags of Brazil and Austria high in the air.
Subsequently, the discussion naturally revolved around his aspirations of returning to the racing scene in 2025. Although he expressed being “content” with his current life, he acknowledged that the exhilaration of being in front of an enthusiastic crowd fueled his desire to compete in a racing car once again.
Read more: Sebastian Vettel offers F1 return update after ‘wish to be in competitive car on the grid’ claim
Toto Wolff runs ‘maths’ on Christian Horner’s Mercedes HPP claim
Toto Wolff dismissed Christian Horner’s claim that Red Bull had hired 220 staff from Mercedes as Red Bull Powertrains took off, stating that the actual number was significantly lower, attributing it to the normal ebb and flow of talent between teams.
Informed media outlets, such as PlanetF1.com, he stated, “The mathematics need to be addressed. There are nineteen engineers involved.”
I believe there are inherent fluctuations among teams, which come and go naturally, regardless of the specific numbers involved. This is completely normal.
Read more: Toto Wolff counters Christian Horner’s ‘220’ staff exit claim from Mercedes to Red Bull
Oscar Piastri points out possible weakness in upgraded MCL38
McLaren’s recent upgrades have significantly enhanced their performance, but according to Oscar Piastri, this comes at the expense of performance in other areas.
Consequently, he believes that the new MCL38 may have lost some of its competitiveness at high speeds compared to its predecessor, but it has significantly compensated for this by greatly improving its performance in lower-speed corners.
After receiving a three-place grid penalty, Piastri found it challenging to make overtakes in the narrow Imola track, despite initially qualifying in second place for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. As a result, he slipped down to fifth position.
Read more: Potential weakness in upgraded McLaren MCL38 highlighted by Oscar Piastri
Helmut Marko points to ‘not helpful’ Lando Norris message
Helmut Marko expresses his concern about Lando Norris’ tense team radio communication during his intense pursuit of Max Verstappen on Sunday, deeming it less than ideal for the driver operating at his peak.
He informed Sky Deutschland that he had received a captivating radio message from his engineer. The engineer expressed that he was pushing the boundaries and suggested that he should accelerate.
“I believe it greatly irritated him. It was definitely unhelpful to be focused on in a situation of that nature.”
Read more: Helmut Marko hints at ‘not helpful’ Lando Norris messages as ‘deciding factor’ in Imola win
