Manager Didier Coton keeping Valtteri Bottas' F1 options open
Valtteri Bottas' manager Didier Coton has vowed to explore "all the different possibilities" for the Williams driver's long-term future in Formula 1
Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Bottas denied rumours he has signed a pre-contract agreement with Ferrari, with Coton further insisting the speculation to be "completely untrue".
With Bottas also confirming he is out of contract at the end of this season, there is a question mark as to where the 25-year-old will be in 2016.
Coton says Bottas is fully committed to Williams for this year, but has also made clear that as a manager it is his duty to explore all options.
"For us, the complete package is important, the driver has certain objectives, and in Valtteri's case he wants to win races and he wants to be world champion, and we need to work on that," Coton told AUTOSPORT.
"That could be with Williams, it could be with any other team, a team that will have the means necessary to do that.
"We will look at all the different possibilities for him in the long term to achieve his objective.
"Of course for me Williams is a top team. They had a difficult year a couple of years ago, as happens to many top teams.
"But we know the potential of Williams, what they have achieved in the past and the potential for the future."
Coton maintains the process of finding a seat for Bottas next season is not an easy one, with many factors to be taken into consideration.
"The concept is helping a sportsman through his career for the short and long term, and to take things step-by-step you need long-term vision," added Coton.
"You have to make sure what the sportsman - the driver - wants to achieve is achievable, and it's about how to get there.
"There is a lot of groundwork to be done, and to be discussed with the driver because at the end he is the one that has to make the decision.
"We will do what we have to do, and Williams is naturally a team we need to speak to."
FELLOW FINN COMPLICATES MATTERS
It is almost certain Ferrari will also be on Coton's agenda, but he is acutely aware of Kimi Raikkonen's position, with options on a contract extension for the 2007 world champion in place.
"Valtteri was quite careful in what he said, making sure he did not hurt anybody because he has a lot of respect for his team, and he is pushing hard for Williams," said Coton.
"The other aspect is Kimi is a fellow countryman and the Scuderia has a relationship with their drivers.
"Valtteri is not the type to fire up on these kind of things, so he was extremely cautious and tried to be as diplomatic as possible in what he said.
"It is correct he has no contract for next year, and this is not something we are going to solve and announce within the next few days.
"We have to be relaxed about this. If we look at the Ferrari rumour, I don't now where it came from. It was quite an interesting one, but completely untrue."
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