F1 pundit Jennie Gow has talked up Valtteri Bottas as a candidate to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
Perez is on thin ice after a string of woeful results, though there are no outstanding drivers in line to replace him.
Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto have both been linked, although both are young and relatively unproven.
Bottas, meanwhile, has bags of top-level experience from his time alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
As it stands, the Finn will be off the grid next season after being axed by Sauber.
“If I said the words to you, ‘Valtteri Bottas joins Red Bull’, would you find that totally weird?” Gow said on The Fast and The Curious podcast.
“Just say Red Bull were looking for a stop gap for that second seat.
“If you looked at second drivers, someone who would just sit in that seat, do what they’ve been asked to do… he’s fast, we know that, he plays the team game very well.
“If they were looking for a stop gap, so they didn’t expose their younger drivers to too much too soon, I would say that would be a good fit.”
