Exclusive
From hero to zero points: This is how Bottas keeps his spirits up at Sauber
- Ludo van Denderen
It seems like an eternity ago now. They were Valtteri Bottas' golden years, between 2017 and 2021, in which the Finn finished second twice and third in the Formula 1 championship just as often. Three years later, Bottas is happy if he picks up a point at all at a Grand Prix because, after 14 race weekends, the veteran is still at the dreaded zero points.
When Bottas left Mercedes after the '21 season and signed with Alfa Romeo (then Sauber's title sponsor), he was full of expectations. The Swiss-licensed team was full of ambition; wanting to attack the midfield and perhaps occasionally surprise with a podium finish. It has to be said, the first six months were hopeful. Since then, it has been a case of treading water for the team, who are eagerly awaiting a new era as Audi's factory team.
Bottas: 'Then the sport is a lot more fun'
Meanwhile, Bottas must try to make the best of it. No longer competing for wins and even world titles but hoping for that day when a single point can be scored. "The sport is always more fun when you're having better results," Bottas says. "So of course you miss the times when you have a good car compared to the others. It was definitely a different feeling in my first year. We were still on the plan for the three-year project that I signed up with, and as you mentioned, things have changed quite a bit since."
By this, Bottas is referring to the takeover by Audi, which has certainly left its mark on the team in recent months. For example, Andreas Seidl had to leave as chief executive and Mattia Binotto is his replacement. "My job still doesn't change. It is to try and make the most out of every weekend, try and give the best feedback, I can work in the simulator and basically do my job the best I can, so that never changes."
Bottas remains loyal
For someone who was used to competing for victory for years, it must be tough to travel to a race knowing that spot 15 - and therefore not taking any points - is the most realistic. "It's not the first race we have approaching like that," sighed Bottas, as GPblog puts this to him. To continue: "I want to get points. We can have some new bits in the car so you just don't know, and it's a different kind of track. That's my job, I still need to stay motivated and do my absolute best no matter what the circumstances are."
This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton