from
https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtteri-bottas-indycar-interesting/

Valtteri Bottas open to ‘interesting’ US move after F1 career ends
Jon Wilde 19 hours ago

Valtteri Bottas smiling in Alfa Romeo garage. Mexico City October 2022.
Valtteri Bottas can see himself making a move to IndyCar racing when he
is done with Formula 1.

The Finn is into what is probably the third and final phase of his F1
career, barring an unexpected twist.

He began racing with Williams in 2013 and after becoming a regular
visitor to the podium the following year, and backing that up with two
further solid campaigns, he earned his big opportunity at Mercedes after
Nico Rosberg retired.

Five seasons and 10 race wins later, plus a 100% record in the
Constructors’ Championship with the Silver Arrows, Bottas clambered out
of the pressure cooker when deposed by the team in favour of George
Russell and opted for a multi-year contract at Alfa Romeo under a dimmer
spotlight.

Now 33, and no longer a realistic contender for victories, it is
inevitable that he should start to think about what could be ahead in
the medium term.

That could mean a Stateside switch, Bottas has admitted.

“Maybe I’ll be racing in the US [in the future],” he told The Ringer F1
podcast.

“IndyCar is quite interesting. The tracks are nice and the racing seems
really real.

“It’s been gaining popularity, at least in Europe, so let’s see.”

What do the next few years hold for Valtteri Bottas?

Certainly until the end of 2024, he can be considered the driver team
leader at Alfa Romeo, with Zhou Guanyu confirmed alongside him for a
second season.

In saying that though, despite their difference in experience there has
not been much between the duo in performance during the second half of
this season – the Chinese rookie has definitely not been left in Bottas’
wake.

The big unknown is what will happen when Audi start to get their feet
under the table at Sauber, with whom they are officially linking up from
2026 after Alfa Romeo’s sponsorship deal concludes at the end of 2023.

Will the German manufacturer want a say regarding drivers from, say,
2024 onwards? Reports suggest they are keen on Mick Schumacher, so that
could potentially impact upon Bottas or Zhou.

And we are not suggesting he will be tackling the Tour de France in the
foreseeable future but it may also be worth keeping an eye on Bottas’
burgeoning cycling activity, just in case that impacts upon any
decisions he makes regarding F1.

His Australian partner, Tiffany Cromwell, is, of course, a professional
road cyclist – a multiple Giro d’Italia stage winner, no less – and the
duo recently teamed up to win a gravel race in Kansas.

Read more: Zhou Guanyu aiming for longer than one-year contracts in the
future

also worth reading
Sam Cooper
31 Oct 2022
Valtteri Bottas ‘planning to stick around’ for ‘huge opportunity’ with Audi

Thanks for sharing the article.

It's nice that F1 drivers are considering IndyCar as a decent series to
go to post-F1. I just wish that the FIA start treating IndyCar drivers
in a similar manner that they would treat F1 drivers. It would be nice
to see those two series constantly cross with each other.

--
Pointless meanderings in a bleak and lonely world.

On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing the article.
>
> It's nice that F1 drivers are considering IndyCar as a decent series to
> go to post-F1. I just wish that the FIA start treating IndyCar drivers
> in a similar manner that they would treat F1 drivers. It would be nice
> to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
>
On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing the article.
>

I am glad to hear you appreciated it.

> It's nice that F1 drivers are considering IndyCar as a decent series to
> go to post-F1. I just wish that the FIA start treating IndyCar drivers
> in a similar manner that they would treat F1 drivers. It would be nice
> to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
>

I liked a number of the old rules and realities better.
For example in the 1960's and 70's and 80's teams had much more
freedom of choice.
Mario Andretti had done well in US in USAC racing.
In 1968 Team Lotus invited Mario to drive one of their
cars in the US GP, and he did. In 1969 he drove in 3 F1 WDC races.
In 1970 he drove a STP Corporation March in 5 races and
finished 3rd in Spain.
In 1971 he was invited to drive a Ferrari, and won the South Africian
GP. He gradually did more F1 races and won the WDC in a Lotus in 1978.
That progression could not be done now.

A recent irritation is that Simona DeSilvestro was doing well in
Indycar, but then got offered a test driver position in F1,
and it just seemed like they took advantage of her time and
contracts with fool's gold promises.

On 8/11/2022 5:23 pm, a425couple wrote:
> On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for sharing the article.
>>
>> It's nice that F1 drivers are  considering IndyCar as a decent series to
>> go to post-F1.  I just wish that the FIA  start treating IndyCar drivers
>> in a similar manner  that they would treat F1 drivers.  It would be nice
>> to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
>>
> On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for sharing the article.
> >
>
> I am glad to hear you appreciated it.
>
> > It's nice that F1 drivers are  considering IndyCar as a decent series to
> > go to post-F1.  I just wish that the FIA  start treating IndyCar drivers
> > in a similar manner  that they would treat F1 drivers.  It would be nice
> > to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
> >
>
> I liked a number of the old rules and realities better.
> For example in the 1960's and 70's and 80's teams had much more
> freedom of choice.
> Mario Andretti had done well in US in USAC racing.
> In 1968 Team Lotus invited Mario to drive one of their
> cars in the US GP, and he did.  In 1969 he drove in 3 F1 WDC races.
> In 1970 he drove a STP Corporation March in 5 races and
> finished 3rd in Spain.
> In 1971 he was invited to drive a Ferrari, and won the South Africian GP.  He gradually did more F1
> races and won the WDC in a Lotus in 1978.
> That progression could not be done now.
>
> A recent irritation is that Simona DeSilvestro was doing well in
> Indycar, but then got offered a test driver position in F1,
> and it just seemed like they took advantage of her time and
> contracts with fool's gold promises.

That's not how her Wikipedia bio reads: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simona_de_Silvestro>

Her best season finish in Indycars over 4 (full) seasons was 13th. She then spent a year as an F1
test driver then didn't immediately go back to Indycars but went instead to Formula E and Aussie
Supercars. She didn't return to Indycars for 6 years, going back (part-time) in 2021.
--
Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long way when religious belief has a cozy little classification
in the DSM"
David Melville

This is not an email and hasn't been checked for viruses by any half-arsed self-promoting software.

On 11/8/22 14:16, ~misfit~ wrote:
> On 8/11/2022 5:23 pm, a425couple wrote:
>> On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
>>>
>>> Thanks for sharing the article.
>>>
>>> It's nice that F1 drivers are  considering IndyCar as a decent series to
>>> go to post-F1.  I just wish that the FIA  start treating IndyCar drivers
>>> in a similar manner  that they would treat F1 drivers.  It would be nice
>>> to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
>>>
>> On 11/7/22 15:55, 5GyYap52yQ1UGMWD wrote:
>>  >
>>  > Thanks for sharing the article.
>>  >
>>
>> I am glad to hear you appreciated it.
>>
>>  > It's nice that F1 drivers are  considering IndyCar as a decent
>> series to
>>  > go to post-F1.  I just wish that the FIA  start treating IndyCar
>> drivers
>>  > in a similar manner  that they would treat F1 drivers.  It would be
>> nice
>>  > to see those two series constantly cross with each other.
>>  >
>>
>> I liked a number of the old rules and realities better.
>> For example in the 1960's and 70's and 80's teams had much more
>> freedom of choice.
>> Mario Andretti had done well in US in USAC racing.
>> In 1968 Team Lotus invited Mario to drive one of their
>> cars in the US GP, and he did.  In 1969 he drove in 3 F1 WDC races.
>> In 1970 he drove a STP Corporation March in 5 races and
>> finished 3rd in Spain.
>> In 1971 he was invited to drive a Ferrari, and won the South Africian
>> GP.  He gradually did more F1 races and won the WDC in a Lotus in 1978.
>> That progression could not be done now.
>>
>> A recent irritation is that Simona DeSilvestro was doing well in
>> Indycar, but then got offered a test driver position in F1,
>> and it just seemed like they took advantage of her time and
>> contracts with fool's gold promises.
>
> That's not how her Wikipedia bio reads:
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simona_de_Silvestro>
>
> Her best season finish in Indycars over 4 (full) seasons was 13th. She
> then spent a year as an F1 test driver then didn't immediately go back
> to Indycars but went instead to Formula E and Aussie Supercars. She
> didn't return to Indycars for 6 years, going back (part-time) in 2021.

In her last season she had a 5th and a 2nd. Pretty good finishes.
She also had 7 more top 10s.
Yes, overall for the season she finished 13th. She was just behind Dario
Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Sébastien Bourdais. She was just above Josef
Newgarden, Viso, Ed Carpenter, Takuma Sato, and Graham Rahal.
That seems like pretty impressive and good company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_IndyCar_Series

Once a person has walked away from a team and contracts and contacts,
it is tough to get back.
In my opinion, for a quality female driver, they are better trying to go
to Indycar that to any dedicated "W series".
The 'glass ceiling' has been fairly broken, and I think the
discrimination will be less than in most European series.
But, as always, the biggest factor for any driver is MARKETING.
Male, or female, how well can you sell yourself. To a team,
or to a corporation wanting a face in an advertisement?