Formula 1 | Valtteri Bottas talks openly about his career: “Of course, sometimes I wonder what if”

Silverstone

10 stables, 20 driver seats. The everyday reality of F1 is merciless.

Places are not allocated based on skills alone. Market value, age, contract price tag and length are all important factors. And, of course, the most important thing: who knows whom, and with whom they get along.

Valtteri Bottas gets along well in the F1 pit. He doesn’t start a fight or seek publicity with bold statements. I have found my own personality outside the track after the gray Mercedes years. A bushy, almost kekerosberg-class blond mustache and a tail that fits the Aussie spirit remind us of that every day.

In the driver’s market, Bottas is still in the role of the hereditary prince. In the pit talks at Silverstone, the position of the Finn was condensed: he is the second choice of almost every team, if Carlos Sainz not choosing Audi, Alpine or Williams.

But Bottas will have to wait.

“I want to join a long-term project. I want to commit for a long time. I believe that things will be resolved by the summer break”, Bottas repeats his statement many times in recent weeks.

But what happens if the F1 career does not continue? Bottas admits that he has thought about it from time to time, because at some point the F1 career will end anyway.

“Yes, I have certainly thought about it. Things for next year are not yet certain, although everything looks very positive. I’m pretty sure I’ll be seen in these circles next year. Of course, sometimes I wonder what if – because nothing lasts forever.”

From one of this Bottas is sure: he will not stop driving until his F1 career ends. He is a racer to the core. The thirst to race against others doesn’t stop at F1.

The Finn is interesting in the world’s top leagues. The North American major series, i.e. IndyCar and Nascar, have both courted Botta, as has the standard car series V8 Supercars, which has achieved a cult reputation in Australia.

“IndyCar has always been an interesting series for me. There have been inquiries about all of them at some point during my career,” Bottas hints.

The legendary Le Mans endurance race is also on Bottas’ radar. He says that 24-hour races didn’t interest him a few years ago, but his mind has started to change.

The US series are the brightest outside of F1, but he admits that V8 Supercars is interesting in its own way. The connection is clear. His long time girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell is Australian, and Bottas’ immersion in Aussie culture has received a lot of attention in recent years.

In particular, Bottas recently made a splash with a car rental ad in connection with the F1 race in Australia. The external habitus has also received elements – the Keke mustache and the shaggy back hair – which, depending on the culture, can easily be connected to the direction of Tampere or Australia.

In the F1 race in Melbourne, Bottas was even talked about as the “third Australian driver” of the series.

“V8 Supercars is perhaps a series I would drive a little later in my career.”

Bottas admits that there has been a very recent interest in the series. He has also received inquiries about running a single race in a show-like sense.

In the past years, F1 drivers drove a lot of races in other classes in their spare time. Current F1 deals mostly prevent fascinating side trips.

They are not unusual either. For example Fernando Alonso drove the Indy 500 race in the United States, even though at the same time the McLaren drivers had the Monaco GP in F1. Alonso got to drive the legendary race, and he got lucky in Monaco Jenson Button.

But Australia might call sooner or later. Bottas is tight-lipped about family matters. Things are going well with Cromwell, and the pair are currently planning their spending for the F1 summer break.

“Everything we have is open here with Tiffany. Whether it’s marriage or not, kids or not, we’re both focused on our careers right now. We will decide these things in time.”