Valtteri Bottas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Valtteri Bottas
F12019 Schloss Gabelhofen (20) (cropped).jpg
Bottas in 2019
BornValtteri Viktor Bottas
(1989-08-28) 28 August 1989 (age 32)[1]
Nastola, Finland
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityFinland Finnish
2021 teamMercedes[2]
2022 teamAlfa Romeo-Ferrari[3]
Car number77
Entries179 (178 starts)
Championships0
Wins10
Podiums67
Career points1738
Pole positions20
Fastest laps19
First entry2013 Australian Grand Prix
First win2017 Russian Grand Prix
Last win2021 Turkish Grand Prix
Last entry2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2021 position3rd (226 pts)
Previous series
2012
2011
200910
2009, 2011
2008
200708
2007
Formula One testing
GP3 Series
Formula 3 Euro Series
British Formula 3
Formula Renault Eurocup
Formula Renault NEC
FRUK Winter Series
Championship titles
2011
2008
2008
GP3 Series
Formula Renault Eurocup
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
WebsiteOfficial website

Valtteri Viktor Bottas[4] (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈʋɑltːeɾi ˈbotːɑs]; born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver who is due to compete in Formula One with Alfa Romeo Racing from the 2022 season onwards, having previously driven for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021 and Williams from 2013 to 2016. Bottas has scored 10 race wins, and 67 podiums. He contributed to five constructors championship wins for Mercedes, and has been drivers' championship runner-up twice, in 2019 and 2020.

Early life[]

Valtteri was born in Nastola, Finland, on 28 August 1989 to Rauno Bottas and Marianne Välimaa. His father owns a small cleaning company, and his mother is an undertaker.[5][6] He was educated in Heinola. Bottas served in the army briefly, which is mandatory for adult males in Finland.[7] His military rank is lance corporal.[8]

Early career[]

Junior formulae[]

Bottas's interest in motorsport was sparked at the age of six by a chance visit to a karting event that he had seen advertised at his local supermarket while shopping with his grandfather.[9] His racing hero while growing up was compatriot Mika Häkkinen.[10]

Bottas finished eighth in the 2005 Karting World Cup for the P.D.B. Racing Team, using Gillard chassis and Parilla engines.

Bottas won both the 2008 Formula Renault Eurocup and the 2008 Formula Renault Northern European Cup. In doing so, he repeated the feat of Filipe Albuquerque, who won both the NEC and Eurocup in the same season, in 2006.

Bottas would have also won the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Series, had he been holding an MSA-registered licence for the championship. This, however, did not stop him from competing, and he won three out of the four races in the championship.

Bottas competing at the second round of the 2010 Formula 3 Euro Series at Hockenheim

Formula Three[]

He moved up into the Formula Three Euroseries for the 2009 season, competing for reigning champions ART Grand Prix. Despite not winning a race, Bottas set two pole positions on his way to third in the championship, edging out future BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver Alexander Sims at the final race. In June 2009, Bottas won the 2009 Masters of Formula 3, also claiming the pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race. By winning the event again in 2010, he became the first driver to win the F3 Masters title for the second time.[11]

In 2010, Bottas was assigned test driver for the Williams Formula One team[12] and would continue as such for the 2011 and 2012 (where he took part in 15 Friday Free Practice sessions)[13] seasons. Also in 2011, he contested the GP3 Series, remaining with F3 squad ART.[14] After a tough start to the season, he claimed a win in each of the last four race weekends and secured the title by winning the penultimate race ahead of his teammate and future Jaguar Racing driver James Calado.[15]

Formula One[]

Williams (2013–2016)[]

2013[]

Bottas during practice at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

Bottas returned to racing in 2013, as he was confirmed as teammate to Pastor Maldonado at Williams-Renault for the 2013 season on 28 November 2012.[16] On 8 June 2013, Bottas qualified in 3rd position at the Canadian Grand Prix behind Sebastian Vettel (1st), and Lewis Hamilton (2nd).[17] He scored his first points finish at the United States Grand Prix by finishing 8th. This result allowed Bottas to finish ahead of Maldonado in the Drivers' Championship.

2014[]

Bottas at the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix

On 11 November 2013, Bottas was confirmed to continue with Williams-Mercedes in 2014 alongside Felipe Massa, who was signed from Ferrari to replace Pastor Maldonado.[18] At the first race of the 2014 season in Australia, Bottas qualified 10th and finished 6th, after recovering from a crash earlier in the race. He was later promoted to 5th after Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified from 2nd position.[19] At the Austrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 2nd, his then-best grid position in Formula One and achieved his first podium in the sport, finishing third behind Nico Rosberg (1st) and Lewis Hamilton (2nd).[20] Despite qualifying 14th on the grid at the British Grand Prix, Bottas charged through the field to finish second, following Rosberg's retirement from the race, thereby achieving his second consecutive career podium. At the German Grand Prix, he qualified second and ended the race in the same position despite a late challenge from Hamilton. After achieving three more podiums in Belgium, Russia (where he set his first fastest lap of a race) and Abu Dhabi (part of the Williams team's first double podium since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix), Bottas finished 4th overall in the Drivers' Championship, beating the likes of former world champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

2015[]

Bottas at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix

In September 2014, it was announced that Bottas and Massa would retain their drives with Williams for the 2015 season.[21] At the opening race of the season in Australia, Bottas qualified sixth for the race, but injured his back during qualifying. He was taken to The Alfred Hospital for precautionary checks,[22] where he was diagnosed with soft tissue damage to his lower back, and was not medically cleared to race.[23] Both Bottas's and Williams's season did not live up to their hopes. Williams lost out in the development war to Ferrari over the winter and slipped further behind Mercedes. Bottas achieved two podium finishes across the 2015 season. The first came at the Canadian Grand Prix when Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari experienced an engine mapping issue resulting in him spinning, leaving an easy podium opportunity for the Williams driver. The second podium of the season came in Mexico behind the Mercedes duo. Two races earlier, Bottas had been on course to finish third in Russia before Räikkönen collided with him while trying to overtake on the final lap of the race. Sergio Pérez was rewarded with the podium, while Räikkönen was penalised, dropping him to 8th and Bottas retired. Bottas finished 5th in the Drivers' Championship beating his experienced teammate Felipe Massa for the second consecutive year.[24]

2016[]

Bottas and Massa remained teammates at Williams for the 2016 season. They were the only two drivers to achieve points finishes in all of the first five races of the season.[25] Bottas claimed third place at the Canadian Grand Prix, matching his result of the previous year.[26] This turned out to be Williams's only podium finish of the season. He achieved an unofficial Formula One record speed of 378 km/h (235 mph) at the Baku City Circuit during qualifying for the European Grand Prix.[27] The second half of the season was less eventful for Bottas. He finished 8th in the Drivers' Championship, once again ahead of his teammate Massa's 11th place. He also out-qualified his teammate 17–4 throughout the season.[28]

Mercedes (2017–2021)[]

Bottas on debut for Mercedes, 2017
Bottas driving for Mercedes at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

2017[]

On 16 January 2017, Mercedes announced that they signed Bottas for the 2017 season to partner Lewis Hamilton, replacing the 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg following his retirement from the sport.[29] Bottas finished 3rd in his first race as a Mercedes driver, the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. At the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix he spun behind the safety car and fell from 5th to 12th but managed to fight his way back to 6th place behind Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, the two Red Bulls and Kimi Räikkönen. He managed to qualify on pole ahead of Lewis Hamilton at the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix, marking his first career pole position.

However, in the race, he had to settle for third place after suffering from tyre pressure problems during his first stint and being unable to find the pace to battle Vettel and Hamilton. He won the 2017 Russian Grand Prix on 30 April 2017, his first Grand Prix win, after jumping the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen from 3rd on the grid on the first lap, making him the fifth Finn to win a Grand Prix.[30] He retired from 3rd in the next race in Spain with an engine issue, having previously survived a collision with Verstappen and Räikkönen on the first lap that took the other two drivers out of the race. Mercedes was off the pace in Monaco, struggling to generate heat in the tyres. Nevertheless, Bottas qualified 3rd, less than a tenth of a second off the pole time, while his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, could only qualify 14th. Bottas finished 4th in the race. Bottas finished 2nd in Canada, behind teammate Hamilton, followed by a recovery drive in Azerbaijan to 2nd, having been in last place and a lap down following a collision with Räikkönen on the first lap. He used the multiple safety cars and red flag period to catch up to the pack and the ensuing chaos and drama in front of him allowed him to eventually snatch 2nd at the last moment of the last lap from Lance Stroll. Bottas topped this at the next race with a pole and victory at Austria, holding off Sebastian Vettel's charging Ferrari towards the end of the race, putting him only 15 points behind Hamilton in the championship.

Having started the next race in Britain in 9th, following a five-place grid penalty for a new gearbox, he made his way up the field to 3rd and eventually finished 2nd, behind Hamilton, courtesy of a late-race tyre failure for Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen. In Hungary, he qualified and finished 3rd, with Hamilton giving him the position on the last corner of the last lap after he let Hamilton go through to attack the Ferraris. After the summer break, Bottas finished 5th in Belgium, having started 3rd, as he was overtaken by both Ricciardo and Räikkönen after the safety car restart, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton won the race. He qualified 6th in Italy (he would start 4th due to penalties for the Red Bulls), more than 2 seconds slower than pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton. He recovered to finish 2nd. In Singapore, he qualified 6th and good strategy meant that he finished the race in 3rd following the four-car collision on the first lap that occurred in front of him. He then finished off the podium for the next three races, while Hamilton racked up two wins and a 2nd place, as Mercedes clinched their fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship in the USA. He got his third pole position of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix, followed by his fourth pole and third win at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

2018[]

Bottas testing for Mercedes in 2018

On 13 September 2017, Mercedes announced that Bottas would be driving for them once again in the 2018 season.[31] Bottas started the season poorly in Australia, where he crashed out in Q3 and was given a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox as a result, meaning he would start the race in 15th place; his teammate Hamilton started the race from pole. In the race, Bottas made it up to the eighth place, benefiting from the virtual safety car as well as performing a few overtakes on a track where it is difficult to pass cars. Bottas bounced back in Bahrain by putting his car third on the grid, behind the Ferraris of Vettel and Räikkönen but ahead of Hamilton who qualified fourth. In the race, Bottas got past Räikkönen, at the start. At the end of the race, Vettel's tyres began to go off quickly, and Bottas closed the gap to Vettel to within a second and eventually finished second, with Hamilton just a few seconds behind him.

Bottas again out-qualified his teammate to take third place on the grid, as the Ferraris locked out the front row again, in China. He again pounced on Räikkönen at the start, after his fellow Finn had been squeezed by Vettel, and moved up to second. He then managed to overtake Vettel during the first pit stop phase and took the lead with a move around the outside of Räikkönen, who had yet to pit, at the first corner. However, when the Toro Rossos of Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly collided and forced a safety car period, both Bottas and Vettel had passed the pit entrance and were unable to stop for fresh tyres. Both the Red Bulls pitted for softer and faster soft tyres. Ricciardo came through the field from sixth place and performed an audacious overtake on Bottas with only eight laps to go. Bottas finished second in the race and remained third in the championship, and 14 points behind leader Vettel.

At the next race, in Baku, Bottas again qualified third, behind Vettel and Hamilton. He remained in third for the first period of the race, but when both Hamilton and Vettel pitted for new tyres Bottas inherited the lead. He stayed out for 15 more laps until the Red Bulls collided and brought out the safety car. When the safety car came in, with less than a handful of laps to go, Vettel tried to pass into turn 1 and ran wide, and consequently fell to fifth place. With just two laps to go, Bottas ran over a piece of debris, sustained a right rear puncture and retired from the race, handing Hamilton the victory. This meant that Bottas fell to fourth in the championship, 30 points behind Hamilton in first.

Ahead of the German Grand Prix, Bottas signed a new contract with Mercedes for the 2019 season with an option for the 2020 season.[32]

By the end of the season, Bottas became the first Mercedes driver to finish a season without a win since Michael Schumacher in 2012. With seven second-place finishes, he also set a new record for the most second-place finishes without taking a win in a season.[33]

2019[]

Bottas on the podium after winning the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Bottas was again signed to race with Mercedes for the 2019 season alongside world champion Lewis Hamilton. In the first race weekend of the year in Australia, Bottas qualified second fastest behind Hamilton. On Sunday, 17 March, race day, he overtook Hamilton into turn 1 and he held the position the whole race after some stellar driving. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race and therefore gained the extra point awarded to the driver who records the fastest race lap, according to the 2019 regulations. He carried on to win by over 20 seconds to his nearest rival and team-mate Lewis Hamilton.[34]

In Bahrain he finished 2nd to his team-mate for another one-two. In the following race in China, Formula 1's 1,000th race, he took pole for the first time since Russia 2018. His teammate jumped him at the start and stayed there for the entire race to win. Bottas meanwhile finished 2nd to give Mercedes their third one-two in a row for 2019.

In Azerbaijan, he took his second consecutive pole position, securing a front-row lockout alongside his teammate Hamilton, subsequently converting his position on the grid into the fifth race victory of his career and his second of 2019. Hamilton finished second, making it Mercedes' fourth consecutive one-two finish.[35]

In Spain, he took yet another pole position and secured another front-row lockout alongside his teammate. Bottas went on to finish second behind Hamilton, making it the team's fifth one-two in a row.

In the following race, the Monaco Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 2nd, behind team-mate Hamilton, breaking his streak of three consecutive poles, starting from China. He eventually finished 3rd, behind Sebastian Vettel and ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who faced a five-second penalty for an unsafe release into the pit lane, into Bottas. This was the first race in 2019 to not have a Mercedes 1-2 on the podium as Vettel took 2nd ahead of Bottas. This race extended Hamilton's lead over Bottas in the Drivers' Championship to 17 points.[36]

For the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Bottas held off Hamilton to take pole position with a 0.006 second faster time; however, poor timing of the safety car resulted in Hamilton taking the lead and victory of the race. Both Mercedes drivers finished ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who finished third. The last two races before the 2019 summer break, the German Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix did not go well for Bottas. Due to a small mistake in wet conditions, he crashed during the German Grand Prix and retired from the race. In the first lap during the Hungarian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc clipped the front wing of Bottas' car, forcing an extra pit stop and causing him to fall back down the order. Bottas eventually finished the race in 8th place.

At the end of the summer break before the Belgian Grand Prix, Bottas was confirmed to drive for Mercedes again in 2020, after the team decided not to promote reserve driver Esteban Ocon. Bottas took his first victory in thirteen races at the Japanese Grand Prix. In Mexico, he crashed heavily at the end of the final qualifying session, before eventually finishing the race in 3rd place. Bottas took his seventh career victory at the following race in the United States. Despite his victory, this race saw the end of Bottas' 2019 championship hopes, as teammate Hamilton finished 2nd to clinch the World Driver's Championship title. Bottas suffered an engine failure in Brazil leading to his second retirement of the season, and ended the season with a 4th place finish in Abu Dhabi.

Bottas finished the 2019 season in 2nd place in the championship with 326 points, the most successful season of his career to date. He recorded four wins, fifteen podium finishes, five pole positions and three fastest laps.

2020[]

Bottas at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

Bottas continued driving at Mercedes alongside Hamilton for 2020, having agreed to a one-year extension to his contract during the 2019 season.[37] He set the fastest time in pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Bottas took pole position at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix and led the race from start to finish.[38] Before the Styrian Grand Prix, it was revealed that Bottas and his team Mercedes were under investigation by the FIA for potentially breaching COVID-19 safety protocols after he returned home to Monaco. Whilst it was initially reported that Mercedes would receive warning letters,[39] Bottas and Mercedes were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.[40] Bottas qualified fourth in wet conditions for the Styrian Grand Prix and went on to finish second in the race behind Hamilton, cutting his championship lead to six points.[41] Bottas qualified second behind Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but made a false start and lost four places at the first corner. He was able to recover to third place by the end of the Grand Prix but lost the lead of the championship to Hamilton.[42]

Bottas again qualified second behind Hamilton at the British Grand Prix. He ran closely behind Hamilton for most of the race but fell back in the closing laps before suffering a tyre failure with four laps remaining. He returned to the pits for a tyre change and eventually crossed the finish line in 11th place.[43] Bottas secured pole position at the following week's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, but tyre issues for the Mercedes cars allowed Max Verstappen to pass both and win the race. Bottas fell to third place behind Hamilton in the closing laps. This result caused Bottas to drop to third place in the drivers' championship.[44] Bottas qualified second for the Spanish Grand Prix but lost positions at the start and finished third behind Verstappen. At the Belgian Grand Prix, he qualified second and held the position during the race. He again qualified second for the Italian Grand Prix, but dropped to sixth place in the opening laps and would only recover to fifth by the finish line. Verstappen's retirement in the race allowed Bottas to regain second place in the drivers' championship, 47 points behind Hamilton.

At the Tuscan Grand Prix, Bottas took the lead from pole-sitter Hamilton on the first lap. The race was red-flagged on lap seven after a multi-car accident, and Bottas lost the lead of the race to Hamilton shortly after the restart, eventually finishing second. He qualified third behind Hamilton and Verstappen for the Russian Grand Prix, but benefited from penalties issued to Hamilton for pre-race practice infringements to cross the finish line first, claiming the ninth Grand Prix win of his career. Bottas took pole position for the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, but was overtaken by Hamilton for the lead after a lock-up at turn 1, and later fell further behind after Hamilton was able to make a pit stop during a virtual safety car period. Shortly afterwards, Bottas complained of power loss and was forced to retire from the race, extending Hamilton's championship lead to 69 points. Bottas finished second at both the Portuguese and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix. He took pole position at the latter, but took damage from debris in the early laps and fell to third before Verstappen retired with a tyre failure.

Both Mercedes cars struggled for pace during the wet Turkish Grand Prix qualifying session, with Bottas qualifying ninth. The rain continued during the race and Bottas spun six times after damaging his front wing due to contact with the Renault of Esteban Ocon, finishing a lap behind eventual race winner Hamilton in 14th place.[45] This gave Hamilton an unassailable 110-point lead over Bottas in the drivers' championship, resulting in Hamilton claiming his seventh world title.[46] At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 2nd before suffering a puncture during an early safety car period, dropping him right to the back. He eventually finished in 8th place. At the following Sakhir Grand Prix, Hamilton was unable to race and was replaced by George Russell. Bottas qualified on pole for the race and was passed by Russell into turn 1. In the second stint of the race, Bottas began catching Russell before a spin by Jack Aitken brought out the safety car. When Russell went into the pits for a tyre change, he was mistakenly fitted with Bottas' tyres, causing Bottas a slow stop of almost half a minute before getting sent out without a tyre change. When the race restarted Bottas suffered against cars on much fresher tyres, falling from 4th to 8th by the end of the race. In the final race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bottas qualified and finished 2nd ahead of Hamilton, capping off a mixed season. Bottas finished the Driver's Championship in 2nd with 223 points, recording two wins, five pole positions, eleven podiums, and two fastest laps.

2021[]

Bottas extended his contract with Mercedes into 2021.[47] At the Bahrain Grand Prix, he finished third. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he struggled compared to his teammate Lewis Hamilton, unable to work his tyres and stuck in the ninth position.[48] Bottas' difficult race concluded with a retirement, after a crash with George Russell as the latter was attempting to overtake Bottas. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, Bottas qualified on pole position but was passed by Hamilton and later Verstappen. Despite showing better pace than Verstappen in the late stages of the race, a sensor issue deprived him of challenging for second. He achieved the same result at the Spanish Grand Prix after qualifying third and being overtaken by Leclerc at the start. At the Monaco Grand Prix, Bottas was challenging for pole position, until Charles Leclerc crashed at the 16th corner, causing a red flag to be displayed and qualifying to be immediately ended before Bottas could complete his lap. Due to this, Bottas started third on the grid, he was promoted to second after the Charles Leclerc could not start the race due to a car issue. His race, ended on lap 31 after his team was unable to remove a wheel during a routine pitstop.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he qualified in 10th place, after a red flag prevented him and other drivers from setting a second flying lap in the third and final session, and was unable to make up positions in the race, eventually finishing 12th, ahead of only the Haas cars, Nicholas Latifi and his teammate Hamilton, who had made a mistake on lap 50. At the French Grand Prix, Bottas qualified in 3rd place behind teammate Hamilton and Verstappen. In the final stages of the race, he struggled with tyre wear, as he had pit early to undercut Verstappen, and was passed by Verstappen and Pérez, finishing 4th. In the Styrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 2nd ahead of Hamilton but was demoted to fifth due to a penalty for dangerously spinning in the pitlane in FP2. During the race, he overtook the McLaren of Lando Norris using DRS and undercut Pérez during the pitstop phase, and despite coming under pressure from the two-stopping Red Bull at the end of the race, finished 3rd, his first podium since Spain. In the Austrian Grand Prix, he qualified 5th directly behind Hamilton. During the race, several close battles resulted in cars being forced off-track and drivers receiving time penalties. Hamilton suffered damage to his car and the team ordered Hamilton to allow Bottas to overtake him. Bottas finished 2nd behind Verstappen. At the Italian Grand Prix, Bottas took first in the Friday qualifying session and went on to win the sprint qualifying on Saturday, but incurred grid penalties for changing components. Starting from last in the race, he eventually fought back to 3rd, behind the two McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris. In the Russian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 7th in tricky conditions but was demoted to 17th after another engine change. During the race he was passed by Verstappen early on in the race and suffered from understeer, yet recovered to 5th after a well-timed pitstop for intermediate tyres on the rapidly dampening track.

At the Turkish Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 2nd behind teammate Hamilton but started on pole after Hamilton incurred a grid penalty. Bottas comfortably led most of the race from Verstappen until his pitstop. After pitting for new inters he easily passed Leclerc's Ferrari and went on to achieve his first victory of the year, over 14 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Verstappen. At the following United States Grand Prix, Bottas qualified 4th but was forced to take yet another engine penalty, thus starting 9th. Bottas struggled with dirty air throughout the race, which made overtaking difficult, but he managed to climb back to 6th after overtaking the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz on the last lap. At the Mexico City Grand Prix, Bottas qualified on pole position despite the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Pérez looking faster all weekend. However, he suffered a poor start in the race and was tagged by Daniel Ricciardo going into Turn 1, sending him to the back of the field. Having suffered from a poor pitstop and being stuck behind Ricciardo for much of the race, he was pit by Mercedes to take the fastest lap off Verstappen, thus maintaining Mercedes' lead over Red Bull in the constructors' championship. In the São Paulo Grand Prix, Bottas qualified in 3rd, but due to a disqualification from qualifying for Hamilton, he started that week's sprint race from the front row. A good start on the soft tyres meant he jumped Verstappen at the start, and he went on to win the sprint. However, in the race on Sunday, Bottas was passed by both Red Bulls on the opening lap after contact with Verstappen. Bottas let Hamilton past and re-overtook Pérez during the pitstop phase, ending the race in third.

Alfa Romeo Racing (2022–)[]

Bottas is under contract to race with Alfa Romeo from 2022 on a multi-year deal.[49] He will be partnered by Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou.[50]

Rallying and other racing[]

In January 2019, Bottas took part in the Arctic Rally, recording a stage win and finishing fifth overall.[51][52] In December 2019, he won the Paul Ricard-based Rallycircuit Cote d'Azur.[53][54] In 2020, Bottas again participated in the Arctic Lapland Rally, where he drove a Citroën DS3 WRC car and finished ninth.[55] He later partook in an Extreme E test in October 2020, alongside Jean-Éric Vergne and Sébastien Loeb.[56] In January 2021, Bottas competed in his third Arctic Lapland Rally. He scored a class podium and finished sixth overall.[57][58]

Personal life[]

On 11 September 2016, Bottas married his long-time girlfriend, Emilia Pikkarainen, a fellow Finn and an Olympic swimmer whom he had been dating since 2010. The couple were married at St. John's Church in Helsinki.[59] On 28 November 2019, Bottas announced their separation and divorce, citing the "challenges my career and life situation bring".[60]

Bottas is in a relationship with Australian professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell as of 14 February 2020.[61]

Bottas resides in Monaco, and also has a lake house in his native Finland.[62] He is a fan of American punk rock band The Offspring.[63]

Other ventures and philanthropy[]

Bottas co-owns coffee roastery “Kahiwa Coffee Roasters” in Lahti, Finland.[64][65][66]

In 2017, Bottas launched the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon, an annual sporting event held in Finland. Bottas uses the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon to raise money for charity and various good causes.[67][68]

Awards[]

Karting record[]

Karting career summary[]

Season Series Team Position
2001 Finnish Cup — Raket 11th
2002 Finnish Championship — ICA Junior 5th
2003 Finnish Championship — ICA Junior 4th
2004 European Championship - Northern Region Qualification — ICA Junior Kohtala Sports 1st
Viking Trophy — ICA Junior 2nd
Finnish Championship — ICA Junior 1st
2005 Finnish Championship — ICA Kohtala Sports 3rd
Finnish Championship — Formula A 5th
Nordic Championship — ICA 9th
Viking Trophy — ICA 1st
World Championship — Formula A PDB Racing Team 8th
2006 Finnish Championship — ICA 1st
Finnish Championship — Formula A Kohtala Sports 1st
NEZ Championship — ICA 2nd
European Championship — Formula A PDB Racing Team 29th
WSK International Series — Formula A 1st
World Championship — Formula A DNF
Sources:[76][77]

Racing record[]

Racing career summary[]

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2007 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Koiranen Bros. Motorsport 16 2 2 3 6 279 3rd
Formula Renault UK Winter Series AKA Cobra 4 3 0 1 4 0 NC†
2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Motopark Academy 14 5 7 4 10 139 1st
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC 14 12 13 12 12 365 1st
2009 Formula 3 Euro Series ART Grand Prix 20 0 2 1 6 62 3rd
British Formula 3 Championship 4 0 0 0 1 N/A NC†
Masters of Formula 3 1 1 1 1 1 N/A 1st
Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 5th
2010 Formula 3 Euro Series ART Grand Prix 18 2 1 4 8 74 3rd
Masters of Formula 3 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st
Macau Grand Prix Prema Powerteam 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 3rd
2011 GP3 Series Lotus ART 16 4 1 3 7 62 1st
British Formula 3 Championship Double R 3 1 0 1 1 17 17th
Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC
2013 Formula One Williams F1 Team 19 0 0 0 0 4 17th
2014 Formula One Williams Martini Racing 19 0 0 1 6 186 4th
2015 Formula One 19 0 0 0 2 136 5th
2016 Formula One 21 0 0 0 1 85 8th
2017 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 20 3 4 2 13 305 3rd
2018 Formula One 21 0 2 7 8 247 5th
2019 Formula One 21 4 5 3 15 326 2nd
2020 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team 17 2 5 2 11 223 2nd
2021 Formula One 22 1 4 4 11 226 3rd

As Bottas was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points
2008 Motopark Academy SPA
1

3
SPA
2

27
SIL
1

1
SIL
2

2
HUN
1

Ret
HUN
2

13
NÜR
1

2
NÜR
2

1
LMS
1

3
LMS
2

1
EST
1

3
EST
2

1
CAT
1

1
CAT
2

4
1st 139

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points
2009 ART Grand Prix Dallara F308/009 Mercedes HOC
1

Ret
HOC
2

16
LAU
1

2
LAU
2

13
NOR
1

12
NOR
2

Ret
ZAN
1

2
ZAN
2

6
OSC
1

2
OSC
2

8
NÜR
1

2
NÜR
2

4
BRH
1

2
BRH
2

15
CAT
1

4
CAT
2

6
DIJ
1

16
DIJ
2

Ret
HOC
1

2
HOC
2

5
3rd 62
2010 ART Grand Prix Dallara F308/026 Mercedes LEC
1

9
LEC
2

6
HOC
1

3
HOC
2

5
VAL
1

2
VAL
2

4
NOR
1

3
NOR
2

1
NÜR
1

6
NÜR
2

7
ZAN
1

2
ZAN
2

Ret
BRH
1

4
BRH
2

4
OSC
1

1
OSC
2

11†
HOC
1

2
HOC
2

3
3rd 74

Driver did not finish the race but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete GP3 Series results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos Points
2011 Lotus ART IST
FEA

4
IST
SPR

8
CAT
FEA

10
CAT
SPR

7
VAL
FEA

7
VAL
SPR

3
SIL
FEA

15
SIL
SPR

12
NÜR
FEA

3
NÜR
SPR

1
HUN
FEA

1
HUN
SPR

2
SPA
FEA

1
SPA
SPR

19
MNZ
FEA

1
MNZ
SPR

17
1st 62

Complete Formula One results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicates fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 WDC Points
2012 Williams F1 Team Williams FW34 Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8 AUS MAL
TD
CHN
TD
BHR
TD
ESP
TD
MON CAN EUR
TD
GBR
TD
GER
TD
HUN
TD
BEL
TD
ITA
TD
SIN JPN
TD
KOR
TD
IND
TD
ABU
TD
USA BRA
TD
 –  –
2013 Williams F1 Team Williams FW35 Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8 AUS
14
MAL
11
CHN
13
BHR
14
ESP
16
MON
12
CAN
14
GBR
12
GER
16
HUN
Ret
BEL
15
ITA
15
SIN
13
KOR
12
JPN
17
IND
16
ABU
15
USA
8
BRA
Ret
17th 4
2014 Williams Martini Racing Williams FW36 Mercedes PU106A Hybrid 1.6 V6 t AUS
5
MAL
8
BHR
8
CHN
7
ESP
5
MON
Ret
CAN
7
AUT
3
GBR
2
GER
2
HUN
8
BEL
3
ITA
4
SIN
11
JPN
6
RUS
3
USA
5
BRA
10
ABU
3
4th 186
2015 Williams Martini Racing Williams FW37 Mercedes PU106B Hybrid 1.6 V6 t AUS
DNS
MAL
5
CHN
6
BHR
4
ESP
4
MON
14
CAN
3
AUT
5
GBR
5
HUN
13
BEL
9
ITA
4
SIN
5
JPN
5
RUS
12
USA
Ret
MEX
3
BRA
5
ABU
13
5th 136
2016 Williams Martini Racing Williams FW38 Mercedes PU106C Hybrid 1.6 V6 t AUS
8
BHR
9
CHN
10
RUS
4
ESP
5
MON
12
CAN
3
EUR
6
AUT
9
GBR
14
HUN
9
GER
9
BEL
8
ITA
6
SIN
Ret
MAL
5
JPN
10
USA
16
MEX
8
BRA
11
ABU
Ret
8th 85
2017 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+ Mercedes M08 EQ Power+ 1.6 V6 t AUS
3
CHN
6
BHR
3
RUS
1
ESP
Ret
MON
4
CAN
2
AZE
2
AUT
1
GBR
2
HUN
3
BEL
5
ITA
2
SIN
3
MAL
5
JPN
4
USA
5
MEX
2
BRA
2
ABU
1
3rd 305
2018 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ Mercedes M09 EQ Power+ 1.6 V6 t AUS
8
BHR
2
CHN
2
AZE
14
ESP
2
MON
5
CAN
2
FRA
7
AUT
Ret
GBR
4
GER
2
HUN
5
BEL
4
ITA
3
SIN
4
RUS
2
JPN
2
USA
5
MEX
5
BRA
5
ABU
5
5th 247
2019 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ Mercedes M10 EQ Power+ 1.6 V6 t AUS
1
BHR
2
CHN
2
AZE
1
ESP
2
MON
3
CAN
4
FRA
2
AUT
3
GBR
2
GER
Ret
HUN
8
BEL
3
ITA
2
SIN
5
RUS
2
JPN
1
MEX
3
USA
1
BRA
Ret
ABU
4
2nd 326
2020 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance Mercedes M11 EQ Performance 1.6 V6 t AUT
1
STY
2
HUN
3
GBR
11
70A
3
ESP
3
BEL
2
ITA
5
TUS
2
RUS
1
EIF
Ret
POR
2
EMI
2
TUR
14
BHR
8
SKH
8
ABU
2
2nd 223
2021 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes AMG F1 W12 E Performance Mercedes M12 E Performance 1.6 V6 t BHR
3
EMI
Ret
POR
3
ESP
3
MON
Ret
AZE
12
FRA
4
STY
3
AUT
2
GBR
33
HUN
Ret
BEL
12
NED
3
ITA
31
RUS
5
TUR
1
USA
6
MXC
15
SAP
31
QAT
Ret
SAU
3
ABU
6
3rd 226

Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

References[]

  1. ^ "Valtteri Bottas". Formula1.com. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Valtteri Bottas signs new deal to drive for Mercedes in 2021". Formula1.com. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. ^ "2022 FIA Formula One World Championship – Entry List". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Nastolan kunnantalo, kunnanhallituksen kokoushuone - PDF Ilmainen lataus". docplayer.fi.
  5. ^ "Valtteri Bottas of Williams aims to be next Flying Finn". BBC Sport. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  6. ^ Stubbs, Dave. "Reason for Williams's Rauno Bottas to celebrate". www.montrealgazette.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Bottaksen äiti kertoo: Perhe on tehnyt pitkän matkan". ESS.fi (in Finnish). 30 November 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Bottas olisi valmis vaikka heti F1-kisoihin – Muut – Turun Sanomat". 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "Valtteri Bottas on mental resilience, motivation and the power of porridge | Formula 1®". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Formula 1". F1 TV. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Bottas makes history at Zandvoort Masters". Motorsport.com. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  12. ^ Beer, Matt (29 January 2010). "Williams signs Bottas as test driver". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  13. ^ "Pastor Maldonado Confirmed for 2012 with Valtteri Bottas as Reserve Driver". WilliamsF1. 1 December 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Bottas lands Lotus ART seat for 2011". MotorsTV.com. 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Champion win for Bottas in Monza". GP3 Series. 10 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011.
  16. ^ Elizalde, Pablo (28 November 2012). "Williams confirms Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado for 2013". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  17. ^ Beer, Matt (8 June 2013). "Canadian GP: Vettel claims pole in rain-hit session". Autosport.com. Haymarket. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  18. ^ Benson, Andrew (11 November 2013). "Felipe Massa joins Williams for 2014 to replace Pastor Maldonado". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  19. ^ Weaver, Paul (16 March 2014). "Daniel Ricciardo disqualified from Australia GP". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  20. ^ "Valtteri Bottas claims first ever podium finish in Austria". 22 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  21. ^ Benson, Andrew (7 September 2014). "Felipe Massa & Valtteri Bottas to stay at Williams". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  22. ^ "Valtteri Bottas in hospital with back pain after F1 qualification". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  23. ^ "Bottas declared unfit to race in Australian GP". Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited. 15 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  24. ^ "2015 Driver Standings". Formula1.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  25. ^ "Stat Wrap: 2016 Spanish Grand Prix". Channel 4. 16 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Bottas lauds 'perfect' Williams strategy after Canada podium". ESPN. 12 June 2016.
  27. ^ Collantine, Keith (20 June 2016). "Williams hit record speeds on and off the track". F1Fanatic. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  28. ^ "2016 review: Williams drops back to fifth". GPUpdate.net. 16 December 2016.
  29. ^ Barretto, Lawrence (16 January 2017). "Valtteri Bottas joins Mercedes for F1 2017, Felipe Massa to Williams". Autosport.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  30. ^ "Valtteri Bottas stuns Vettel and Hamilton to win F1's Russian GP". Guardian. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  31. ^ "Silver Arrows and Valtteri Bottas together in 2018". Mercedes F1 team. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  32. ^ "Valtteri Bottas signs new Mercedes contract to keep him alongside Lewis Hamilton for 2019 and beyond". The Daily Telegraph. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  33. ^ "Hamilton signs off title-winning campaign with dominant Abu Dhabi victory". Formula1.com. 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  34. ^ "Valtteri Bottas dominates Australian Grand Prix to win Formula One opener". Guardian. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Valtteri Bottas wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton second". Guardian. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  36. ^ "2019 Driver Standings". Formula 1. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  37. ^ "Valtteri Bottas to stay at Mercedes for 2020 F1 season alongside Lewis Hamilton". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Qualy: Valtteri Bottas spins off but still takes pole". 4 July 2020.
  39. ^ "F1 news: Mercedes, Ferrari set for COVID protocols warning". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  40. ^ "F1 news: Bottas escapes action for possible COVID protocol breach". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  41. ^ "Hamilton takes dominant Styrian GP win". Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  42. ^ "Hamilton romps to eighth Hungarian Grand Prix win, as Verstappen recovers to second". formula1.com. 19 July 2020.
  43. ^ Medland, Chris (2 August 2020). "2020 British Grand Prix race report: Hamilton holds on after final lap blowout". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  44. ^ Medland, Chris (9 August 2020). "2020 F1 70th Anniversary GP report: Verstappen win to spark title challenge?". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  45. ^ Straw, Edd (16 November 2020). "Why Bottas couldn't stop spinning in the Turkish GP". the-race.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  46. ^ "Lewis Hamilton claims seventh F1 title after epic Turkish GP wet victory". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  47. ^ Galloway, James (6 August 2020). "Bottas signs extension with Mercedes for the 2021 F1 season". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  48. ^ "Poor Imola pace was "100% tyres", says Bottas · RaceFans". RaceFans. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  49. ^ "Alfa Romeo announce Valtteri Bottas to join the team in 2022 on multi-year deal". Formula1.com. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  50. ^ "Alfa Romeo announce Guanyu Zhou as Valtteri Bottas's team mate for 2022". Formula1. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  51. ^ "AWAY WE SNOW: Bottas to compete in the Arctic Lapland Rally at the start of 2019". Formula 1.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  52. ^ Lindsay, Alasdair (26 January 2019). "Bottas takes stage win, fifth overall on rally debut". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  53. ^ Khorounzhiy, Valentin (8 December 2019). "Mercedes F1 driver Bottas claims first rallying win at Paul Ricard". Autosport.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  54. ^ "Valtteri Bottas takes victory at Paul Ricard-based rally event". Motorsport Week. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  55. ^ Chokhani, Darshan (18 January 2020). "Bottas fights back to get a Top 10 result in 2020 Arctic Lapland Rally".
  56. ^ Kew, Matt (5 October 2020). "Bottas, Loeb, Vergne complete Extreme E test". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  57. ^ : "Valtterie Bottas". Instagram. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  58. ^ Chokhani, Darshan (16 January 2021). "Bottas secures class podium in 2021 Arctic Lapland Rally, Top 10 in overall". FormulaRapida.net. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  59. ^ "Valtteri Bottas gets married in Helsinki". thisisf1.com. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  60. ^ "Valtteri Bottas on Instagram: "Unfortunately I have to share you the news that the marriage between Emilia and myself has come to an end. Our ways have split because of…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  61. ^ "Happy Valentines Day to this amazing human". instagram.com. 14 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021.
  62. ^ Charlton, Alistair (4 August 2021). "Lake Houses, Coffee And Life Beyond Formula One: An Interview With Valtteri Bottas". Forbes. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  63. ^ Medland, Chris (27 September 2020). "Punk rock and pizzas – Getting to know the real Valtteri Bottas | Formula 1®". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  64. ^ "Valtteri Bottas co-owns Coffee roastery in Finland". BLEACHERS NEWS. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  65. ^ "Valtteri Bottas bought a stake in a Lahti-based company: "I can proudly represent my hometown" | tellerreport.com". www.tellerreport.com. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  66. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  67. ^ "Valtteri Bottas Duathlon powered by Tunturi". Valtteri Bottas Duathlon. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  68. ^ "Valtteri Bottas runs for the Starlight Children's Foundation". F1i.com. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  69. ^ "2014 F1 Season Awards". Sky Sports. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  70. ^ "Confartigianato Motori 2017". APAconfartigianato (in Italian). 6 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  71. ^ "Valtteri Bottas receives prestigious Bandini Trophy". marsMediaSite. 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  72. ^ Hensby, Paul (8 May 2018). "Bottas 'Very Honoured' to Receive Bandini Trophy after 2017 Breakthrough". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  73. ^ "Valtteri Bottas wins the DHL Fastest Lap Award 2018". DHL InMotion. 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  74. ^ "Bottas: A demanding year but also motivating and rewarding". GRAND PRIX 247. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  75. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  76. ^ "Valtteri Bottas | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  77. ^ kartcom (13 March 2019). "Bottas Valtteri" (in French). Retrieved 30 November 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""