F1 News: Valtteri Bottas open to IndyCar move after F1 career
After an electric start to the season, Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas will be frustrated with the team's decline in 2022.
Bottas secured many headlines in the first half of the season, frequently outqualifying one of the Mercedes duo and consistently finishing in the points.
Regrettably, Alfa Romeo's C42 has fallen behind many of its midfield rivals as the Swiss-based team loses out in the mid-season development race.
Still, Bottas can be pleased with his early success since joining Alfa Romeo, who have still enjoyed their best Formula 1 season in several years.
Looking to the future, however, Valtteri Bottas has expressed an interest in IndyCar.
The Finnish driver made clear that his time in Formula 1 is far from over, but he told Kevin Clark about his perspective on racing in the US:
"I like the feeling, the atmosphere. The entertainment is really good. It feels like in the US, organisers really know how to entertain people.
"I still definitely have a few more years in Formula 1, no doubt. I still feel like I have things to give for our sport.
"But eventually [for the future], I have thought about it.
"IndyCar is quite interesting, but we'll see. I don't really yet have to think about it that much, but eventually, I will have to. But yeah, you never know...
"The race tracks are nice, the racing seems really real, and from my understanding, [there's] a little bit less politics than F1. Yeah, it seems like it's been gaining popularity recently."
Formula 1's growth has also benefited other racing categories, with the increased popularity of IndyCar one of the great examples of this positive trend.
Marcus Ericcson successfully made the switch from F1 to IndyCar, so it seems reasonable that Bottas can make a splash if he ever makes the switch to the States.
With that said, a potential Audi takeover of Sauber means there could be an exciting project for Bottas in F1, so time will tell whether he is attracted enough by the prospects in America.