Valtteri Bottas could sign off from Sauber - and perhaps Formula 1 - in style at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after qualifying ninth, with a chance to score his first points of the season.
The Finn, who bows out of Sauber as it has opted instead to recruit F2 title leader Gabriel Bortoleto and current Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg for 2025, outqualified beleaguered Red Bull driver Sergio Perez at Yas Marina.
That in itself was a statement from Bottas, who will have to settle for being Mercedes F1 reserve driver in 2025 and hope he can mount a Hulkenberg-style comeback in 2026.
But if this was his last F1 qualifying session, it was an impressive way to bow out.
“All my laps were some of the best laps I’ve delivered and it just kept going, lap by lap,” said Bottas.
On Sunday, Bottas wants to underline it with a top-10 finish.
“Now the only goal is to finish in the points. And if the saying is true that you’re only as good as your last race, then hopefully it’s a good one,” he said.
Asked how much the race mattered to him, Bottas replied: “It does. I really haven’t had that many good races this year and especially visible results and visible points - there are none.
“So it would be nice to have a good one. We’re in a good place and I think our car really is competitive to fight with the cars around.”
Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz are also leaving their respective teams Mercedes and Ferrari after tomorrow’s season finale - and Bottas echoed the comments they’ve made through the weekend about how they’re trying to appreciate their farewell races.
“I need to make sure that I really, really enjoy it, every moment of it,” said Bottas.
“Of course when you’re doing a thing you’re really focused, but before and after I need to try to be in the moment and enjoy it. That’s the main thing - and give it all I have.”
Bottas’s chances of scoring are buoyed by the fact that Hamilton is out of position in provisional 16th after a stray bollard cost him a shot at Q2, and Charles Leclerc will start a provisional 19th after taking a 10-place grid penalty.
“The fact is there are some cars out of position, like Charles and some other cars. Hopefully lady luck will be onside,” he concurred.
Furthermore, after Sauber’s late-season development that allowed team-mate Zhou Guanyu to score in Qatar, Bottas seemed even more optimistic than normal - even if he admitted that Sauber’s development has come too late for him to reap its rewards. His replacement Hulkenberg joked it was "handy timing" for him.
“It’s nice to finally have a car that can do something," Bottas laughed. "But like we said earlier, it’s a little bit late in the year!
“But at least we can hopefully finish in a positive way.”
He remained tight-lipped about whatever send-off he’s got planned for Sauber, apart from Christmas cards. Of course the squad will want points, first and foremost.
Bottas will say goodbye with a wry smile and some more tongue-in-cheek comments about his situation, but it’s clear he’s looking to fight to remain in F1.
With Red Bull facing turmoil over its second driver choice in 2025 - Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Perez battling it out for the rockiest seat in F1 - and Alpine potentially exploring potentially faster alternatives over 2025 recruit Jack Doohan, Bottas might have options opening up for him.
That sentiment is underscored by the question adorning his one-off helmet design in Abu Dhabi: ‘What’s next?’