F1 News
'If Bottas wants to be aggressive, he needs to pick another team quickly'
- GPblog.com
Just like every year, Valtteri Bottas is combative prior to the season, but this time the Finn could barely compete in the opening race. According to Matt Beer of The Race, it is therefore about time that the driver leaves Mercedes.
Officially, Valtteri Bottas is not the number two at Mercedes, but quietly everyone knows that the team is fully focused on Lewis Hamilton's chances. Bottas' task will be to avoid taking too many points away from Hamilton while helping Mercedes to the title.
That however looks to be harder than ever this year, with a competitive car at Red Bull Racing and two fast drivers. "That means Mercedes' drivers don't have to focus on outperforming each other and dropping points into Red Bull's lap. And given the strong evidence that Hamilton is still Mercedes' best chance for a title, it means Bottas' personal ambitions are a much lower priority. That while he is once again fighting for his future with the team," stated Matt Beer in his column on The Race.
Who will be Mercedes' leader?
And that doesn't seem to change when Hamilton decides to leave Mercedes. George Russell is ready to take over or the team might even be able to lure Max Verstappen away from the competition. "Mercedes knows what Bottas is capable of and that is less than Hamilton. It's hard to imagine the mental transition needed from both sides to make Bottas the undisputed leader at Mercedes after Hamilton's departure."
According to Beer, the best option for the Finn is therefore to plan his own departure and pick another team, where he might be able to take the lead. And in doing so, he could also become the first 'number two' to become a true, successful leader in Formula One. "Until six months ago, a return to Williams seemed like a huge step backwards for Bottas. But with Dorilton's investments, new management and stronger links with Mercedes, there is a real chance the team can become a competitive midfield team again.
"Bottas played a big role there in the last relative glory days, so it will be something romantic to see the Finn lead the team into a new era. And then he can show the sport what he is capable of. If he really wants to be aggressive and not passive, then he should make his choice quickly," Beer concluded.