Valtteri Bottas in F1
Like many Finnish Formula 1 drivers before him, Valtteri made a name for himself by calmly accumulating success. The 2009 Formula 3 season ended in disappointment, but he still managed to put a positive spin on it. That year and the following one, Bottas won the Masters of Formula 3 in Zandvoort, after which Williams offered him a seat as a test driver.
This collaboration didn’t prevent Bottas from participating in other classes, including the GP3 series with ART. This time, the Finn took the title before making his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2013.
Alongside Pastor Maldonado, the cool-headed Finn was clearly the stronger of the two, and in his first season, Bottas finished ahead of his teammate. A year later, the Venezuelan was replaced by Felipe Massa, and the successes continued to stack up. In 2014, Bottas secured multiple podium finishes and managed to secure fourth place in the championship.
In the following years, Williams remained a team to be reckoned with. The now-experienced Bottas and veteran Felipe Massa were formidable opponents in a car powered by the powerful Mercedes engine. However, 2016 was disappointing, and the first cracks in the Williams team began to show. Bottas, however, was unexpectedly offered a lifeline by the Mercedes Formula 1 team.
Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
After Nico Rosberg won the title in 2016, the German almost immediately threw in the towel and unexpectedly left Formula 1. His partnership with Lewis Hamilton had reached several low points, and another year driving alongside the Briton seemed like a poor idea for Rosberg. Through the management of team principal Toto Wolff, Mercedes quickly turned to Bottas as a replacement.
In his first year, things went well. The Finn won three races and finished third in the championship, seemingly getting the same opportunities as his teammate. However, it became clear the following year that this was no longer the case. Bottas was repeatedly told via radio to let Hamilton pass. During the Russian Grand Prix, this even cost him the victory.
In 2019, Bottas seemed reborn. Bottas 2.0 and "Fear the Beard" were terms circulating after a dominant performance in Melbourne. His contract with Mercedes was extended that year, but the title fight fizzled out. Hamilton easily defeated his teammate. There was no change in 2020, as Hamilton was even more dominant, and Bottas was nearly beaten by Max Verstappen.
Bottas leaves Mercedes after five years
In 2021, Bottas began his fifth year with Mercedes. The pressure to deliver strong results was immense and only grew when it became clear that Verstappen and Red Bull posed a serious threat to the World Championship. Bottas was unable to convince Mercedes. Despite finishing third in the championship, he disappointed his team on several crucial occasions, and the decision was made in the summer: Bottas would make way for Williams talent George Russell in 2022.
This sent Bottas back to the midfield. He moved to Alfa Romeo, where he would have rookie Guanyu Zhou as his teammate. It seemed like a step back for the Finn, but he thrived in an environment where his input was valued, and he no longer raced in service of another. He helped Alfa Romeo secure sixth place in the constructors’ championship, a massive step for the team. From 2024, the F1 team would be known as Stake Sauber, with a transformation to Audi set for 2026.
Bottas sidelined by Sauber for Bortoleto
As part of the transition to Audi, Sauber announced several changes in 2024. Andreas Seidl left, and former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley, former sporting director at Red Bull Racing, were announced as new team leaders. A completely new lineup was also chosen: Nico Hulkenberg was the first to be announced.
For a long time, Bottas seemed like the top contender for the second seat, but Sauber opted for young talent alongside the experience of the German. Gabriel Bortoleto was released by McLaren and will join Sauber as a full-time F1 driver in 2025. Bottas, in turn, will return to the Mercedes family as a reserve driver.
