243 Grands Prix contested (set to become 246 after Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi), 10 wins, 68 podiums, 20 pole positions, and 19 fastest laps—these are the career numbers of Valtteri Bottas, who will step aside at the end of this season to make way for the young Brazilian talent, Gabriel Bortoleto.
Over the years, Valtteri Bottas has earned appreciation not only for his results and on-track performances but also for his distinctive personality and humor, particularly after leaving Mercedes. This transformation turned him into one of the paddock’s most irreverent and beloved figures.
Debut at Williams (2013-2016)
Born in the small town of Nastola, Finland, Valtteri Bottas made his F1 debut in 2013, thanks to Toto Wolff, who placed him in Williams in place of Bruno Senna.
With a car that wasn’t particularly competitive, the Finnish driver ended his first season in F1 in 17th place with just four points, although he made a splash in the rain during qualifying for the Canadian GP, miraculously securing a third-place start.
The turning point in his career came in 2014, when Williams managed to capitalize on regulatory changes, bringing a competitive car, the FW36, capable of securing strong results and frequent podium finishes.
Bottas finished that season in fourth place with six podiums and a solid 186 points, trailing only the two dominant Mercedes cars and an in-form Daniel Ricciardo in his first year with Red Bull.
The 2015 Formula 1 season followed a similar pattern, with Valtteri Bottas finishing fifth with 136 points but only one podium, again at Montreal. In 2016, Williams began a slow but steady decline, and the Finnish driver’s performance began to suffer as a result. He finished eighth in the standings, with 51 fewer points than the previous year.
The Big Opportunity at Mercedes (2017-2021)
Despite a lackluster season, Valtteri Bottas seized a rare opportunity. Leveraging his relationship with Wolff, the number 77 took over the seat vacated by Nico Rosberg, who retired after winning the title in Abu Dhabi, thus becoming Lewis Hamilton’s teammate during Mercedes’ peak dominance.
His first pole position came in Bahrain in 2017, the first of five that season, and he secured his maiden win a few weeks later in Sochi, followed by victories in Austria and Abu Dhabi.
Valtteri Bottas’ first season with Mercedes was largely successful, with 308 points and a third-place finish in the championship, behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, who won his third title.
The 2018 season was less favorable, with Valtteri Bottas finishing fifth despite the competitiveness of the W09, managing eight podiums but no wins, while Hamilton claimed his fourth title.
2019 started off strongly with two wins and three second-place finishes in the first five races, sparking hopes for a title challenge. However, by season’s end, the story remained the same: Hamilton was crowned champion, with Bottas increasingly assigned to a supporting role.
In 2020, a season marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bottas finished second in the championship with two wins, five poles, and ten podiums, bolstered by the W11, which would go down in history as the fastest F1 car ever.
Bottas’ final contribution to Mercedes came in 2021. As Max Verstappen dethroned Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi, ending the Mercedes era, Bottas’ one win and ten podiums helped secure Mercedes’ eighth consecutive Constructors’ title, with George Russell already confirmed for the 2022 season.
A New Chapter with Alfa Romeo/Sauber
Although his best results came during his five years with Mercedes, the Finn never hid the fact that he struggled with the intense media pressure and the constant comparison to Hamilton, ultimately seeking a fresh start with Alfa Romeo, a team with far lower expectations.
Despite a less competitive car, Valtteri Bottas managed strong results early in 2022, placing his C42 in the top ten seven times in the first ten races and finishing the season in tenth place with 49 points.
It was with Sauber that Valtteri Bottas also showcased a new side of himself (and a new look), with his now-iconic mullet and mustache, revealing a charisma rarely seen in his earlier years.
As for performance, a gradual decline began last season, with an eighth place as his best result and a low-key 15th in the standings. In 2024, the situation worsened further: zero points after 21 races and a bleak 23rd in the standings, confirming the definitive downturn in his career. The hope is, of course, to see him score at least one more time in the remaining three races, but given Stake’s performance this year, the chances are slim.
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