Valtteri Bottas is relaxed about his Formula 1 future. Still unsure whether he will remain on the grid for 2025 and seeing places at rival teams drying up, Bottas could be forgiven for feeling nervous. But, as he stressed during his chat with Motorsport.com at the British Grand Prix, “this is not the first time he has had an experience like this.”
The Finnish driver, who turns 35 later this month, currently sits at the bottom of the drivers’ championship standings without having scored any points with Sauber.
But Bottas knows that in F1 things can change in an instant, as in January 2017, when he was hired by Mercedes as an eleventh-hour replacement for Nico Rosberg following the German’s shock retirement.
During his time at Mercedes, Bottas toed the company line, but as we talk in the Sauber motorhome, his bleached hairdo peeking out from under his hat, he takes himself less seriously these days, which perhaps explains why he is so relaxed.
“Obviously everyone is different,” he said, as we discussed a tongue-in-cheek commercial he did earlier this year for the ride-hailing company Uber. “But I’ve found a way to allow myself to make fun of myself and not take certain things too seriously.”
“Of course racing will always be taken very seriously, but at the end of the day we are all human. I think it’s important to see the fun in certain things and especially in yourself.”
Valtteri Bottas, KICK Sauber, in the garage
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“I’ve been there. I’ve probably acted like a robot in the past, but I’m glad I was able to get out of it. I think it’s about maturity and experience, it took me a while to figure out who I really am.”
“I have already found myself in this situation in my career. [in attesa di un nuovo contratto]so it’s not new to me. It can be stressful at times, but it depends on how you handle it: for me, at the moment, it’s exciting and not too stressful. It’s not the first time I’m experiencing a moment like this.”
Bottas’s case for a new deal has not been helped by a subpar car that has fallen short of expectations. Without a point since last year’s Qatar GP, Bottas’s career seems at odds with his 10 wins with Mercedes.
But he believes the paddock doesn’t need reminding of his abilities behind the wheel, and his current team is now the most likely option to extend his F1 career.
He added: “I can’t say I’m satisfied with how the season has gone so far. We got zero points, which wasn’t the goal, but from my side, [ma] I feel like I haven’t missed any opportunities.
“I feel good in the car, qualifying was great and also in the race I am getting the maximum, but unfortunately in this situation it is probably not very visible. So it was a difficult race for us. We definitely did not achieve our goals.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44, leads Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44, and Alex Albon, Williams FW46
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“In this sport, it’s a shame that some people have quite short memories. If you’re a driver in a top team, what you do is more visible, but that’s part of the game.”
“The good thing is that there are still people who know what I can do and what I can bring to a team and my performance level. So there are still people who understand, which is good.”
Outside of F1, Bottas has a number of business interests that keep him busy, proving that they do not interfere with his F1 commitments.
“It’s a good thing,” he said, when asked about his business and associations. “All the things I’ve been involved in, first of all, have always been because I’m passionate. They’re fun projects for me to work on, and everything is aligned so I don’t get distracted. I can choose my workload and generally turn off my phone for several weeks if I need to.”
“The main thing has been my girlfriend and I’ve got a gin company and then I’m part of a coffee roasting company and I work with a wine company. I love all things wine, so when I’m in Australia I can work on those things. Some people might think it’s a distraction, but for me it’s the opposite.”
“I am also a co-owner of a hockey team in Finland, in my hometown, which came second in the Finnish league last season. I also have some investments here and there.”
Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
Speaking about cycling, for which Bottas also has a passion, given that his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell is a professional cyclist, he intervenes by saying: “To clarify that Formula 1 is my main passion, always has been and always will be. But outside, for me, cycling is a great way to escape the frenetic and crowded world”.
“For me, cycling is the complete opposite of F1. I can go alone in the mountains without seeing anyone for hours and see things, so it’s a balancing factor and it also keeps me fit.”
“I like dirt cycling events. It’s not as serious as road cycling. The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed. I like to challenge myself – maybe there’s something wrong with me! I would definitely like to do more events in the future, but of course the calendar decides that and it has to make sense in terms of time and energy.”
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