What’s next for three Formula One fan favorites?

While many drivers are expected to change teams during the offseason, the vast majority of them will be returning to the grid in 2025. There are three, however, who will not: Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu and Kevin Magnussen. They don’t have a contract to race in F1 for 2025.

How did they get to F1? What were they known for? And where might they wind up next?

Here are the stories behind each of the three departing fan favorites:

Valtteri Bottas | Sauber

The 35-year-old Finn joined F1 in 2013 after spending three years as a reserve driver at Williams. He impressed in his debut seasons with the British team, earning several podiums alongside teammate Felipe Massa, but he’s best known for five impeccable seasons alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

The term “second driver” gets thrown around often in F1, usually as a gentle insult toward the teammate of a world-class racer such as Hamilton.

But being a second driver, as Bottas undoubtedly was during his Mercedes stint, is a wildly difficult task and one that deserves far more respect than it receives. Bottas managed his own races, sacrificed positioning to aid Hamilton, shouldered immense media pressure and helped Mercedes win five consecutive constructors’ championships with the team. If Bottas had faltered, those championships would’ve vanished — look at what happened to Red Bull in 2024 when Sergio Perez failed to perform at Bottas’ level. It finished third in the standings largely due to Perez’s poor results.

Bottas moved to Sauber in 2021, and while his early races with the team were promising, the relationship fell apart as Sauber went through intense organizational changes.

Bottas hasn’t announced his plans, but perhaps he will return to Mercedes in a reserve driver capacity.

Zhou Guanyu | Sauber

Guanyu has been making history in F1 since the first time he climbed into the cockpit. He was the first Chinese driver in the sport’s 74-year history. His F1 debut in 2022 was met with rapturous coverage in his home country, and rightfully so — he scored points in his opening Grand Prix, becoming just the 66th driver in history to do so.

Zhou is known for his smooth driving style, and he delivered solid results for Sauber even as the team struggled to build a competitive car. He’s leaving the grid for the 2025 season, but Zhou is just 25, so he may find a comeback opportunity.

“I will take every opportunity to come back for a seat,” Zhou said after the Qatar Grand Prix in early December, per Formula1.com. “I’m sure when the chance is here I will do a much better job. Let’s see what the future brings, but try to enjoy the moment and show the paddock what I can do.”

Zhou’s most likely landing spot is Cadillac. The team will make its F1 debut in 2026 under the leadership of Graeme Lowdon, Zhou’s current manager.

Kevin Magnussen | Haas

The 32-year-old Dane left the sport in 2020 after a seven-year career only to return back to the team that dropped him in 2022.

Magnussen started his career with McLaren and earned a podium finish — his only one in F1 — in his debut race. He had a short stint at Renault before signing on with upstart American team Haas in 2017. 

Magnussen’s years with Haas were marred by crashes and interpersonal drama. He is known as one of the more aggressive drivers on and off the track.

Sometimes, though, that devil-may-care attitude paid off for Magnussen and Haas in big ways. He spent much of 2023 and 2024 driving brilliant defensive races to help his teammate Nico Hülkenberg score points for the team. Many bemoaned Magnussen’s tactics, but others praised him for his resolute defending. He became something of a brick wall on the F1 grid: When he set his mind to it, no one could get past him.

While Bottas and Zhou may well return to F1 in various roles in the future, Magnussen is likely finished. He celebrated last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the last of his F1 career.

Magnussen has shown interest in endurance racing, though, so fans of his unique driving style well see him in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future.