Valtteri Bottas has confirmed his post-Sauber racing plans with F1’s ‘adopted Aussie’ set to contest the Race of Champions at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium in March 2025.

Bottas will line up alongside fellow former F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher in the annual event.

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Sauber announced at the beginning of this month that neither Bottas nor his team-mate Zhou Guanyu would continue with the team next season, the duo replaced by an all-new line-up comprising of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoletto.

The team-mates are hoping to keep a foot in the door as reserve drivers, Bottas with Mercedes and Zhou with Ferrari, but as things stand Bottas is pressing on with his ‘what’s next’ plans.

And first up is a run in the annual Race of Champions.

Next year the RoC will take place in the Finn’s adopted Australia where he spends a lot of his time with his girlfriend and Olympian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. As such it’s no surprise he has decided to test his mettle at the unique event that sees the drivers race various machinery.

“My relationship with Australia is no secret and I am looking forward to competing in the first ever Race Of Champions Down Under,” Bottas said.

“Hopefully I will also have plenty of ‘local’ fans cheering for me after being granted ‘honorary Australian’ status earlier this year, even if I will of course try to beat Australia in the ROC Nations Cup and all the Aussies in the individual Race Of Champions.

“I am looking forward to spending some time in Australia across the ‘local’ summer months and should be well acclimatised by the time we get to March.

“The Race Of Champions is a unique event and I have a little bit of unfinished business after teaming up with Mika [Hakkinen] on the ice in ROC Sweden last year.”

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The Race Of Champions will run over two nights on a purpose-built 1km asphalt race track, including a 43m crossover bridge, at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. The The Nations Cup takes place on Friday the 7th while the Saturday night will see the individual Race Of Champions.

Fredrik Johnsson, Race Of Champions President and Co-Founder, added: “Valtteri is one of the great characters of our sport and is a perfect inclusion for our first ever Race Of Champions in Australia,” said Johnsson.

“Just like last year at ROC Sweden, he will bring lots of fun as well as some seriously-fast, competitive driving.

“We were all disappointed when Valtteri was recently left without an F1 drive next year, but we are very happy that his Australian fans will still be able to see him in action at ROC Sydney the weekend before the F1 season starts in Melbourne.

“The field for the inaugural Sydney Race Of Champions is shaping up to be one of our most competitive ever and we still have plenty of big names to come.”

Bottas will line up alongside former F1 driver Vettel and Schumacher as well as nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and seven-time Supercars Champion Jamie Whincup.

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