Auto Hebdo: Wolff wants Bottas to move to Renault

Valtteri Bottas could join Renault according to reports in France, which is claiming Toto Wolff would rather he leave the team. Sebastian Vettel announced that this season would be his last as a Ferrari driver. 48 hours later the Scuderia announced Carlos Sainz as his replacement with Daniel Ricciardo taking the Spaniard’s McLaren race seat. Last week reports claimed Bottas' manager, Didier Coton, had been in talks with Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul. According to France’s Auto Hebdo, 'Even though Bottas may not want to leave, team boss Toto Wolff would rather he join the Renault team’. Meanwhile, Sky Sport’s Ted Kravitz has confirmed that Bottas' manager is in talks with both Red Bull and Renault. “He is talking to Red Bull and Renault, or his management is at least,” said Kravitz. “He can deny it, he has deniablility. His manager is Didier Coton and Toto Wolff has an interest in Bottas still as he has since he started. But it is difficult for Bottas. He obviously wants to stay at Mercedes but he needs to protect his position. “Is he a little bit worried about it? I don’t think so, I think he wants to stay and they probably want to keep him as choice number one.” Source: PlanetF1

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