Valtteri Bottas could yet win the race for the final seat on the Formula 1 grid for next season as Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi said the current incumbent is one on the "top of the list".
With Nico Hulkenberg long since confirmed as racing for Sauber in its final season before the full transition to Audi, his team-mate for the 2025 campaign has been a lengthy search for the squad.
Bottas joined the team, then badged as Alfa Romeo, in 2022, having previously won 10 grands prix as a Mercedes driver.
Formula 2 title contender Gabriel Bortoleto has emerged as the frontrunner if Sauber decides to partner Hulkenberg with a young driver rather than having an experienced duo in the team.
New Audi chief operating and technical officer Mattia Binotto will make the final call but Bravi insisted ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that Bottas is very much still in the running.
"I think this is the current assessment that Mattia is doing. He just started two weeks ago, so we have said already in Monza that he's taking charge of all the dossiers and the drivers are of course one of the most important ones," Bravi replied when asked about the driver search.
"We are evaluating all the options to see which is the best balance between a short-term experience and medium, long-term, maybe young talent. There are potential candidates on both sides. Valtteri is a strong driver for our team. We know him very well.
"He has been with the team already for three years, and of course he's one on top of our list. But there are other opportunities. We are just looking at all the pros and cons, and Mattia will take a decision based not only on 2025, but also the medium-long-term strategy for the Audi F1 project."
Speaking before Bravi was questioned about the situation, Bottas said he was feeling positive about his chances of retaining a seat for next year as he berated the pace of this season's Sauber – which has yet to score a point in the hands of either the Finn or team-mate Zhou Guanyu.
"Still, still talking. Progressing. And I'm still positive, but…I shouldn't really say much," he said.
"So that's where we are. But yeah, there's obviously many, many things to discuss. Both parties need to be happy, but I think we're in the right direction.
"This sport is unfair. I've seen that many times, I've been in a difficult situation thanks to the performance of the of the car. But, thank God, Mattia knows what he can get from me, so that's a good thing for me.
"And hopefully be here next year, and the car will be a bit better and I can show a bit more."
Bottas might not have to wait long to find out if his F1 career will continue into 2025 as Bravi said a decision could come in "a matter of the next weeks".
He added that the team would not be "opportunistic" and the fact that the second Sauber drive is the only remaining seat for next year gives them time to mull over its options.
