Valtteri Bottas could also be enthusiastic about ‘what’s subsequent’ for him in System 1, however there isn’t any hiding the frustration about how a ‘worst-case state of affairs’ left him on the sidelines.
Having had excessive hopes about what a transfer to Alfa/Romeo Sauber in 2022 – then beneath the management of Fred Vasseur – may carry him, Bottas was finally denied the progress he hoped for by a change on the high, and this season was his first in F1 the place he failed to attain some extent.
Having been ignored for a seat at Hinwil for 2025 in favour of Gabriel Bortoleto, and no choices elsewhere, Bottas is returning to Mercedes as a reserve driver – hoping that he can discover his method again into race motion for 2026.
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The Finn has stored a courageous face on the challenges of this season – the place highlights have been his extracurricular actions greater than on-track performances.
However for somebody as aggressive as he’s, Bottas’ struggles have admittedly not been straightforward to deal with.
Chatting with Motorsport.com, Bottas mentioned: “It is laborious, for certain, as a result of I want to present what I can do and shine and have my moments, but it surely’s tough on the again. Individuals simply will not see and virtually individuals neglect what you’ll be able to obtain.
“So I simply assume it is for me, it is only a bit unfortunate that I’ve obtained into this case, which ended up being the worst-case state of affairs. It meant I used to be left with out the seat for subsequent yr.
“If I may return three years, I in all probability would have chosen one other staff to enter, primarily based on what the state of affairs is now.
“However you simply cannot predict the long run, as a result of within the first yr, once I signed up with Fred for 3 years, there was a transparent plan and clear objectives.
“The primary yr was, I believe, nice general. However then when Fred left, issues sort of collapsed a bit, together with the objectives and the targets.”
Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
Bottas actually couldn’t have predicted how issues would go south this yr, as Sauber dropped to the again of the sector and ended up tenth within the constructors’ championship.
It was solely Zhou Guanyu’s eighth-place end in Qatar that prevented the staff from ending 2024 with none factors on the board in any respect.
A part of the reason for the drop in competitiveness is that the squad targeted an excessive amount of on its Audi plans from 2026, so uncared for the current.
However Bottas thinks that issues have additionally not been helped by the impression of a rotating door of administration with Vasseur, then Andreas Seidl, and most lately Mattia Binotto.
“There has not been sufficient stability by way of the management,” he mentioned. “We have now now our third new chief inside three years, and with every of the adjustments to the highest, it has additionally meant that many key individuals have modified within the roles.
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“There’s been individuals leaving and other people coming, in order that naturally takes time. I do not assume we have simply had the strong basis to construct on.
“It has been like we construct one thing, after which it falls down, after which we strive once more. So I believe that is the primary factor, simply lack of stability general.”
And Bottas has no doubts that if there’s one factor a high staff like Mercedes had throughout his time there, it was stability.
“Once I was at Mercedes, that was a giant energy,” he mentioned. “Everybody had lengthy, lengthy contracts. There was all the time stability.
“So you can simply actually give attention to the work, and never spend time looking for new individuals or kicking individuals out. So I believe that appears to be the case in lots of high groups.”
Completely happy life off observe
Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
Whereas issues haven’t been nice for Bottas on observe, there’s a sure irony to the truth that he appears to be happier than ever off it.
His antics are nicely preferred on social media, he has challenged himself in ways in which he by no means thought he may earlier than, and he’s revelling in all of it.
“I have never had, sadly, that a lot enjoyable by way of combating for outcomes I need on observe,” he mentioned. “So on observe positively has been very difficult.
“However I have been attempting to compensate that with my off-track life; doing different stuff, as a result of I would like the joys from someplace.
“I wish to meet my targets in one thing. Let’s give an instance, the gravel world championships. I wished to qualify for that, and I wished to compete. I set it as a purpose, and I achieved it, and I completed it in kind of within the midfield, and I used to be truly actually completely satisfied about it.
“So I believe all this stuff apart, I have been doing it as a result of I would like that feeling of stepping into my objectives and stuff like that. That is why I am general very, very completely satisfied.”
One in all his extra eye-opening off-track actions was when he determined to do an in-villa Ironman – a 2.4-mile swim in a small pool, 112-mile Peloton bike journey after which a 26.2-mile marathon on a treadmill.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Workforce Kick Sauber, cycles the observe
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
Talking about that feat, Bottas mentioned the concept had come to him the earlier evening over dinner.
“I used to be truly having some wine after which I used to be like: ‘Tomorrow is an Ironman, a full one,’” he smiled. “So, yeah, 6am to the pool, and off we go!
“Midway by it, I used to be pondering, what am I doing? Why have I accomplished it? However then I assumed: ‘Okay, I am midway. There isn’t any method of stopping now.’ So I needed to full it.
“I am glad I did it. It was truly mentally, to undergo that, a fairly eye-opening expertise. , you will have actually obtained to dig deep and also you learn the way a lot it is simply actually the psychological energy. As a result of in the long run, when your physique is empty, then you definitely’re simply going along with your willpower. And that is a fairly cool feeling if you full it.”
It’s this inside aggressive fireplace, the necessity to push himself, and a happiness in every thing round him, that finally made him decided to not simply stroll away from F1 in any case he has been by this yr.
“That is why I additionally really feel like I am not accomplished with the game but, as a result of I really feel like I may go endlessly,” he admitted.
“I’ve obtained every thing in an excellent steadiness, and I do not actually really feel like I am getting fatigue due to F1. In order that’s why I really feel like I nonetheless have issues to offer for the game, no matter function it’s.”
On this article
Jonathan Noble
System 1
Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes
Sauber
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