Sauber is stuck at the bottom of the Constructors' Championship, with no points as their car has been unable to compete with the rest of the grid this season.

Nevertheless, it is the only team, aside from the two Red Bull-affiliated teams—whose recent changes have sparked many questions—that has yet to reveal its complete 2025 lineup.

Valtteri Bottas has been the leading candidate to remain with the team for a fourth year, with rumors suggesting a deal might be confirmed before the Austin race.

However, that didn’t happen, leaving other names like Mick Schumacher, Gabriel Bortoleto or Franco Colapinto still in the game.

Bottas has stated that his main priority remains to stay on the grid but admitted that he has to think about a plan B as well. One option could be going back to Mercedes as a reserve driver, where he spent five years of his career.

“Firstly, the priority is to stay as a race driver, that’s what I want, and that’s what I’m pushing for with Mattia,” Bottas told the official F1 channel.

“But, of course, as I don’t have anything signed – we’re in October – I’ve got to look at all the alternatives including going back to the Mercedes family. That’s for sure one option and I would consider it. 

“But there’s other options as well, as well as going back to my priority, which is to be a race driver even more.”

He mentioned that it’s now more of a waiting game for him, as Sauber is taking their time to make the decision.

“We are in an almost daily basis, keeping in touch with Mattia – sometimes about technical stuff, sometimes about the future.

“We’ve pretty well agreed everything in terms of the terms and stuff like that. Now it’s just, the ball is in their camp so I’ll keep waiting and doing my job.”

As the F1 circus heads to the well-known Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend, Bottas is feeling optimistic and targets a points-scoring finish.

“I’m positive about this weekend because normally on this track the gaps are a bit smaller than before, so I really hope we can be in the mix and in a better place than before,” he said.

“I really want some points so that needs to be the target for the weekend.”

Just before the Mexican Grand Prix, Bottas sits in the 23rd and last place in the championship, still waiting to earn his first point of the season.