Valtteri Bottas will leave Sauber after the 2024 Formula 1 season but is understood to already be close to signing back with Mercedes as its reserve driver from next year.

In what has been an awful year for Sauber – still 2024’s only point-less team – Bottas’s place beyond the deal he struck when leaving Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season, when Sauber was branded as Alfa Romeo, was threatened as plans for Audi’s 2026 arrival accelerated.

First, Sauber hired Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg in a deal covering the 2025 season ahead of the Audi rebrand for the following year, with Bottas’s team-mate Zhou Guanyu not in contention to keep the sole remaining racing seat with the team.

Sauber then entered a turbulent period of management change, with previous bosses – former CEO Andrea Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann – axed and ex-Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto hired as chief operating and chief technical officer. Red Bull sporting director Johnathan Wheatley also joined to be Sauber team principal from 2025.

In Brazil last weekend Bottas said doing a new deal with Sauber was still “what I’m pushing for with Mattia”.

But over the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend Motorsport.com reported that Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto has agreed a deal to race for the Swiss team for next year after it missed out on signing Williams-bound Carlos Sainz, its long-held target.

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44

Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images

“A situation like this is never easy for anyone,” Bottas said. “But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met.

“These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments. I’m grateful for the joint experiences as well as the trust and support I’ve felt every step of the way.

“Though it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us both.”

Mattia Binotto, COO & CTO, Sauber Motorsport AG: “We extend our deepest gratitude to Valtteri for the past three years together. He has been the embodiment of professionalism, using his vast experience to support the team’s growth. Valtteri’s dedication and approach have been invaluable during a pivotal time in our history, and the memories of these years will stay with us for a long time. In considering our driver line-up for the coming seasons, Valtteri was unquestionably a key candidate. With his fighting spirit, he frequently pushed the car beyond its performance limits. However, a decision had to be made. After open and constructive discussions, we mutually concluded that final conditions could not be met so we agreed that it is time to part ways. Valtteri will always have an open door here in Hinwil.”

Sauber’s decision means Bottas’s current F1 racing career will likely be capped at 10 wins from 246 races, come the end of the current campaign in Abu Dhabi next month.

But he could yet see more action with his former team, after saying returning to what he called the “Mercedes family” at Interlagos was “for sure one option and I would consider it”.

Motorsport.com understands that discussions between Mercedes and Bottas have been going on for several weeks, with the squad set to field a team made up of drivers it has supported all the way to F1 – George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli – in 2025.

Although the path back to the full-time racing driver from a reserve role is difficult, F1 has had a surge in super-sub appearances in recent years.

This was turbocharged by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Hulkenberg, in particular, gaining a series of unexpected appearances for what is now Aston Martin after leaving Renault at 2019’s end.

Injury replacements have been required elsewhere and this year Williams axed Logan Sargeant well before the end of the current campaign, although opted to replace him with its junior driver, Franco Colapinto.

But Hulkenberg’s story is one particularly relevant to Bottas, as it was his regular place in the F1 paddock as Aston’s reserve that helped him stay in regular contact with then Haas team principal Guenther Steiner and eventually to a deal to rejoin the grid as a full-time racer with the American squad in 2023.

It is not currently known when any deal for Bottas to return to Mercedes might be announced, but Sauber is predicted to be confirming the deal for Bortoleto – currently a McLaren junior – this week.

REFS’ chief Howard Webb has conceded the penalty decision that sealed Erik ten Hag’s fate at Manchester United WAS wrong.

When United played at West Ham on October 27, VAR Michael Oliver recommended that match referee David Coote go to the monitor after Hammers’ Danny Ings went down in the box following an 87th-minute skirmish with Matthijs de Ligt.

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West Ham were not appealing for a penalty but to the disbelief of De Ligt and his team-mates, Coote reversed his decision and pointed to the spot.

Jarrod Bowen smashed home the penalty, sending United plunging to their fourth Prem defeat of the season and Ten Hag was sacked the next morning.

Now it has emerged that PGMOL chief Webb accepted Oliver should not have intervened and urged Coote to overturn his decision.

And the Prem’s Key Match Incident panel — made up of former players, managers and referees — are also believed to have determined the final decision was an error and the initial call should have stood.

The revelation will add fuel to Ten Hag’s fire after he was left furious by the crucial incident, suggesting it was the second shocker his side had suffered this season.

Ten Hag also referred to Bruno Fernandes’ red card during the 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham in September — which was overturned by the FA on appeal — as a critical call that wrongly went against his United team.

However, Ten Hag did not mention Lisandro Martinez’s two-footed tackle in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace the previous weekend.

Many experts suggested that the defender should have been dismissed rather than merely booked.

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Even so, Webb’s admission, which is expected to be made public in a week during the next edition of the monthly Mic’d Up refereeing review show, will only serve to justify Ten Hag’s feeling that he was the victim of poor calls which ultimately cost him his job.

Particularly after the Premier League claimed sufficient contact was made on Ings.

A statement after the match said: “The referee did not award a penalty to West Ham for a challenge by De Ligt on Ings.

“The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review.

“The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.”

A thrilling Week 9 of the NFL season is in the books, and several stars showed out! Now, it’s time for FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady to name his latest 3 Stars of The Week. 

At the end of each week throughout the regular season, Brady will choose three players whose performances stood out to him the most. This week includes a familiar star running back still turning heads in new colors, and an under-the-radar AFC North pass-rusher. Brady also selects his power rankings of the Top 5 teams in the NFL every week and chooses one player from each game he broadcasts this season as his LFG Player of the Game. Here’s his latest 3 Stars of The Week:

Tom Brady’s 3 Stars of Week 9: Saquon Barkley, Trey Hendrickson, Lamar Jackson | DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Check out how Brady’s 3 Stars of Week 9 performed, with the GOAT’s full analysis below!

Week 9 stats: 159 yards on 27 attempts (5.9 yards per carry), one rushing touchdown, three catches, 40 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown — and one reverse hurdle(1!) — in 28-23 win over Jacksonville Jaguars

Brady’s thoughts: “Wow! He is having a career year in Philly right now. I’m sure everyone saw that ridiculous reverse hurdle. Are you kidding me!?!? Saquon went for 199 yards from scrimmage. He had another 100-yard rush game. I’m excited to see what moves he’s got going against the Cowboys [on] Sunday — I’ll be watching that one closely.”

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Week 9 stats: Four sacks, seven QB hits, one pass defensed, one forced fumble in 41-24 win over Las Vegas Raiders

Brady’s thoughts: “He had a career day going against the Raiders on Sunday. He had four sacks! He sacked me a few times and I didn’t like it at all. But he was pressuring the QB all day. Trey leads the league with 11 sacks in nine games. What a year he’s having.

“He’s got a huge game Thursday night against the Ravens. Lamar [Jackson], watch out, man. You better know where No. 91 is lined up on every snap.”

Week 9 stats: 84.2% completion rate, 280 pass yards, three touchdown passes, no interceptions, 158.3 (perfect) passer rating in 41-10 win over Denver Broncos

Brady’s thoughts: “Speaking of Lamar, he makes another appearance as one of my stars of the week. He had 280 yards passing, three tuddies, a perfect quarterback rating against a really good Broncos defense. 

“Lamar is making a case for that second straight MVP. That performance makes it 20 touchdowns and two picks on the year. Let’s see if he can keep it rolling against the Bengals on Thursday.”

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Saquon Barkley

Trey Hendrickson

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Kuhn’s second goal was not quite as brilliant on an individual level.

Instead, he was in the right place at the right time to convert from a few yards out following a fine team move.

“More and more, Kuhn is reminding me of Jota,” said BBC Sport Scotland chief sports writer Tom English. “The way he moves, his influence in games, his ability to score goals in volumes but scoring great goals as well.

“He’s become an absolutely essential player in this team. You couldn’t tire watching that [first goal]. He just cushions it in from a mile out – if you can do such a thing.”

That second goal meant Kuhn became the first Celtic player to score two goals in the first half of a Champions League – or European Cup – match since Roy Aitken in October 1979, against Partizani Tirana.

It might not be the most eye-catching statistic from Celtic’s statement win, but it shows the rarity of what Kuhn has achieved – and the kind of form he is in.

Another former Celtic winger, Aiden McGeady, summed it up on the Scottish Football Podcast, saying: “I think the outstanding player in Scottish football this season has been Nicolas Kuhn. Every time he’s on the pitch, he impacts the game.”

It may be a little early to christen him ‘Saint Nick’, but if he keeps up these performances, Celtic fans might not see him after December.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON was spotted at Celtic Park on a Champions League night despite being a boyhood fan of Rangers.

The legendary manager was snapped in the seats as Celtic pulled off a stunning victory over RB Leipzig.

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Ferguson, 82, looked smiley as Brendan Rodger’s side pulled off a 3-1 victory over their German foes.

The former Manchester United manager was a boyhood fan of Celtic’s fierce rivals, Rangers.

He was even made the most expensive player in Scotland when the club signed him back in 1967.

However, his time at the club was marred by sectarianism.

When asked if he had married his wife Cathy in a catholic church by a Rangers director, he said that it was a registry office instead.

Ferguson has admitted that he is still annoyed about the moment and should have told the director to “bugger off”.

While he is still fond of the Rangers, he only supports the club when they play against the Celtics.

He told the Belfast Telegraph: “The only time I really support Rangers is when they play Celtic.

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“The big one. Jason [Ferguson’s son] is a Celtic fan. I love phoning him up when Rangers have beaten them.”

Christoph Baumgartner had given Leipzig the lead at Celtic Park before the hosts fought back.

Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn fired a brace in for Celtic before Reo Hatate netted the killer blow in the 72nd minute.

Manager Rogders’ hailed the result as a “great night for the club”.

He said:”The result, the performance, the energy in the stadium.

“The supporters will go away feeling really good about their team.

“But we played our way in to the game, showed a maturity to get the ball working again and then we get the goal.

“Over the course of the game I thought we were really dominant, both in our pressing of the game and our hunger for the second goal.

“We got that and then I thought in the second half we managed the game really well.”

Meanwhile, Fergsuon has kept himself busy in retirement and has been attending plenty of football matches.

Just last week he was spotted sitting next to former England cricketer Michael Vaughan during Man United’s Carabao Cup win over Leicester City.

And on the weekend he was seen leaving Sir Jim Ratcliffe in hysterics at Old Trafford for the Premier League draw versus Chelsea.

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