Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas
Born	Valtteri Viktor Bottas; August 28, 1989 (age 37); Nastola, Finland
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	2010–2023 (Formula One)
Known for	Formula One racing driver, Mercedes reserve driver

Valtteri Viktor Bottas (; born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver currently serving as the reserve driver for Mercedes in Formula One. Bottas participated in Formula One from to , securing second place in the World Drivers' Championship in both and while driving for Mercedes, and achieving 10 Grand Prix victories throughout his 12-season career.

Originating from Nastola, Bottas started his journey in kart racing at the age of six. After completing his studies in automotive engineering and fulfilling his mandatory military service, he progressed to compete in junior formulae beginning in 2007. In 2008, racing with Motopark, he captured both the Formula Renault NEC and the Formula Renault Eurocup titles, narrowly surpassing Daniel Ricciardo. Subsequently, Bottas won consecutive Masters of Formula 3 championships in 2009 and 2010 with ART Grand Prix, followed by claiming the GP3 Series championship in 2011. After spending two years as a test driver, he made his Formula One debut with Williams at the Grand Prix. By , he had achieved fourth place overall, earning his first podium finish at the GP, and accumulated nine podiums over four seasons with Williams.

In , Bottas transitioned to Mercedes, taking over from the retiring Nico Rosberg alongside teammate Lewis Hamilton. He secured his inaugural pole position at the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix and his first race victory at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix, concluding the season third in the standings with additional wins in Austria and Abu Dhabi. Despite a winless campaign in 2018, he finished as runner-up to Hamilton in both 2019 and 2020. Bottas recorded his final Mercedes triumph at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix before departing after contributing to five consecutive World Constructors' Championship titles for the team. He joined Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season and continued racing with them through 2023. Following a points-free start to the 2024 season with the rebranded Sauber, Bottas returned to Mercedes to serve as their reserve driver.

Throughout his Formula One tenure, Bottas amassed wins, pole positions, fastest laps, and stood on the podium times. He holds the record for accumulating the highest number of career points () without winning a World Drivers' Championship.

Early life

Valtteri Viktor Bottas was born on 28 August 1989 in Nastola, Finland, to parents Rauno Bottas, who owns a small cleaning business, and Marianne Välimaa, a professional undertaker. He pursued vocational training in automotive engineering at a school in Heinola, earning qualifications as an auto mechanic. Bottas fulfilled his compulsory military service at the Finnish Defence Forces Sports School located in Lahti, attaining the rank of lance corporal.

Karting

Bottas developed an interest in motorsports at six years old after attending a karting event. His childhood idol was fellow Finn Mika Häkkinen. In 2005, he achieved eighth place in the Karting World Cup while competing with the P.D.B. Racing Team, piloting a Gillard chassis equipped with Parilla engines.

Lower formulae

In 2008, Bottas claimed both the Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault Northern European Cup titles, matching Filipe Albuquerque's accomplishment from 2006 of winning both championships within a single season.

Although he would have secured victory in the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Series had he held an MSA-registered licence, he still participated and won three out of four races during that series.

Formula Three

In 2009, Bottas stepped up to the Formula Three Euroseries racing with the reigning champions ART Grand Prix. Although he did not secure any victories, he achieved two pole positions and finished third overall in the championship, narrowly surpassing Alexander Sims. That same year, he triumphed at the prestigious 2009 Masters of Formula 3, where he also claimed pole position and the fastest lap. He successfully defended this title in 2010, becoming the first driver to win the event twice.

In 2011, Bottas participated in the GP3 Series with ART. After a slow beginning, he gained momentum by winning races during the final four weekends of the season. He secured the championship title by winning the penultimate race, finishing ahead of his teammate James Calado.

2010–2012: Test and reserve driver

Bottas joined Williams as their official test driver in January 2010 following his debut Formula 3 Euro Series campaign. Team principal Frank Williams commended his record in junior categories and regarded this role as an essential phase in his development. Throughout 2010, Bottas performed straight-line aerodynamic tests in the FW32 and continued similar work in 2011. His first comprehensive test session came in November 2011 when he drove the FW33 during the young drivers' test at Yas Marina. After securing the GP3 championship, his responsibilities expanded in 2012 to include participation in fifteen Friday practice sessions, marking his first involvement during a Grand Prix weekend at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

2013: Debut season

In November 2012, Bottas was confirmed as a full-time Williams race driver for the season, partnering Pastor Maldonado and replacing Bruno Senna. He qualified 16th and finished 14th in his inaugural race at the . At , he improved from 18th on the grid to finish just outside the points in 11th place by a margin of 1.5 seconds. Bottas secured third on the grid at , delivering Williams’ first top-ten qualifying result of that year; however, limited car performance restricted him to a 14th-place finish.

His first retirement came due to a hydraulic failure at , while Maldonado earned the team’s initial point of the season. Bottas earned his maiden Formula One points by finishing eighth at , which also represented Williams’ best result that year. At the season finale , he collided with Lewis Hamilton while attempting to unlap himself, later stating he was unaware Hamilton was a lap ahead.

Concluding his rookie season, Bottas ranked 17th in the World Drivers' Championship with four points out of Williams's total five. He outqualified Maldonado in twelve out of nineteen races and received commendations for strong performances at both the Canadian and United States Grands Prix.

2014: First podiums

Williams retained Bottas for the season alongside new teammate Felipe Massa, who joined from Ferrari. At the opening race in , Bottas started fifteenth due to a gearbox penalty and suffered a tyre puncture after clipping a wall but recovered to sixth place, later elevated to fifth following Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification. A subsequent grid penalty relegated him to start 18th at , where he finished eighth. Matching his best qualifying position at with third on the grid, he again finished eighth due to car limitations. After securing fifth place at , Bottas praised updates to Williams’s FW36 chassis, considering it the third-fastest car on track; however, this was followed by a disappointing 13th-place qualifying and engine failure at Monaco.

At , Bottas qualified second behind Massa, delivering Williams’s first front-row lockout since 2003. Although both drivers were overtaken by Mercedes during the race, Bottas maintained third place to claim his first podium finish. Starting from 14th at , he capitalized on multiple retirements to finish second. He then achieved another second-place finish at , marking three consecutive podiums. At , poor timing of a safety car period combined with a slow pit stop caused him to lose positions. Another podium came at after overtaking Kimi Räikkönen late in the event. Qualifying third at , Bottas recovered from an eleventh-place start to finish fourth. Tyre degradation caused him to fall outside points at Singapore—the only race where he finished outside the top ten that year. He secured third place with fastest lap honors at and qualified fourth in Brazil but dropped to tenth after slow pit stops. The season concluded with a third-place finish behind Massa at Abu Dhabi, delivering Williams's first double podium since 2005.

Bottas wrapped up 2014 ranked fourth in the World Drivers' Championship ahead of champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, accumulating six podiums and 186 points compared to Massa’s 134. Williams achieved third place in the World Constructors' Championship—their highest since 2003—with Bottas outqualifying Massa in thirteen of nineteen races. Sky Sports highlighted his performances as "greatly impressive," while Motorsport.com described him as "frequently the fastest driver outside Mercedes."

2015

In September 2014, it was announced that Bottas and Massa would remain with Williams for the upcoming season. Bottas secured sixth place in qualifying at the opening race of the year, but a back injury prevented him from participating in the event. He made his comeback at the following Grand Prix, where he started ninth and finished in fifth position. Points were accumulated by Bottas over the subsequent three races, highlighted by two fourth-place finishes in Bahrain and Spain; however, he failed to score at Monaco after qualifying 17th. His inaugural podium arrived at the , where he finished third following a spin by Kimi Räikkönen. During the , both Bottas and Massa began the race from first and second on the grid but ended up fourth and fifth respectively, elevating Bottas to fourth place in the World Drivers' Championship standings.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified sixth but dropped outside the top ten after colliding with Max Verstappen. His best qualifying performance was third place in Belgium; nevertheless, a drive-through penalty due to a pit stop error relegated him to ninth. In Russia, Bottas was positioned to finish third before a last-lap clash with Räikkönen forced his retirement; although Räikkönen received a penalty for the incident, he showed no remorse. A suspension failure caused Bottas to retire at the United States Grand Prix, while a DRS malfunction led to a crash during practice in Mexico. Despite this setback, he recovered to finish third in Mexico, marking his second podium finish of that season. A collision with Jenson Button in the pit lane at Abu Dhabi caused him to lose points despite starting from sixth on the grid.

Bottas concluded the 2015 World Drivers' Championship in fifth place with 136 points, outpacing Massa who scored 121 points. Their combined efforts contributed to Williams securing third place in the Constructors' Championship. Additionally, an Autosport poll ranked Bottas as the seventh-best driver of the year.

2016

For the 2016 season, Bottas continued as Massa’s teammate at Williams. A gearbox penalty forced him to start from 16th position at the season-opening , though he managed to recover and earn points. At the , he was handed a drive-through penalty for causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton; starting sixth, he ultimately finished ninth. Points were scored by Bottas across the next three races, including his best qualifying result of that year—a third place at the —where he finished fourth. Both Williams drivers consistently earned points during each of the first five events of the season, marking a unique achievement for the team. This streak ended at the , where Bottas was demoted from 11th to 12th due to causing a collision with Esteban Gutiérrez. Williams’ sole podium of 2016 came at the , where Bottas advanced from seventh on the grid to finish third employing a one-stop strategy.

During qualifying for the , Bottas set an unofficial Formula One speed record of at the Baku City Circuit. Although starting sixth at , he spun out and lost any chance of scoring points. He then secured points in four consecutive races afterward, including a sixth-place finish at . However, retirement followed in Singapore due to puncture issues combined with seatbelt and gearbox problems. At , he recovered impressively from 11th on the grid to finish fifth. A first-lap puncture ended his points hopes after qualifying eighth at , and his season concluded prematurely due to suspension failure leading to retirement.

Bottas ended the year eighth in the World Drivers' Championship with 85 points, surpassing Massa’s tally of 53 points and outqualifying him in seventeen out of twenty-one races. Meanwhile, Williams slipped to fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, a decline from their previous third-place finishes.

2017: First Career Victory

Originally expected to stay with Williams for the 2017 season, Bottas was recruited by Mercedes in January following Nico Rosberg’s unexpected retirement, joining forces with Lewis Hamilton. Claire Williams, the deputy team principal at Williams, endorsed the transition, acknowledging Bottas’s chance to contend for championship titles.

Bottas made an impressive debut by securing third place at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. Throughout the season, he encountered difficulties such as a spin in China and tyre complications in Bahrain, where he earned his inaugural pole position but ultimately finished third. His breakthrough victory came at the Russian Grand Prix, where he overtook both Ferrari drivers on the first lap to claim his maiden win. Despite suffering an engine failure while running third in Spain, Bottas collected multiple podium finishes, including second places in Canada and Azerbaijan—the latter marked by a remarkable recovery from being a lap down amid red flags and safety car deployments.

He achieved another win at the Austrian Grand Prix, narrowing the championship gap with Hamilton to just 15 points. Although penalized on the grid at the British Grand Prix, he still managed to finish second. Strategic decisions in later races contributed to Mercedes clinching their fourth consecutive Constructors’ Championship in the United States. Bottas concluded the year with several pole positions and podiums, including a victory at Abu Dhabi.

Ending the season third overall with 305 points compared to Hamilton’s 363, Bottas outqualified his teammate on six occasions. While initially receiving praise for his performances, his form declined mid-season; he described his year as "disappointing" despite achieving strong results.

2018

In September 2017, Mercedes officially confirmed Bottas would remain with the team for the upcoming season. His year began with a challenging start at the Australian Grand Prix, where a qualifying crash combined with a gearbox penalty relegated him to 15th on the grid; nonetheless, he recovered to finish eighth. Bottas outqualified Hamilton by securing third place at both the Bahrain and Chinese Grands Prix and led portions of those races before finishing close behind the winners. He was leading the Spanish Grand Prix with only two laps remaining but retired due to a puncture caused by debris on track. Additional podium finishes included second places in Spain and Canada.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second but was involved in an early collision with Sebastian Vettel that dropped him to seventh place. He claimed his first pole position of the season in Austria but retired due to gearbox failure during the race. Although he challenged Hamilton fiercely at the British Grand Prix, team orders ensured he remained second. In Hungary, after contact incidents caused him to slip from second to fifth, team principal Toto Wolff commended his defensive driving and labeled him a "sensational wingman," a remark that Bottas later admitted felt somewhat disparaging.

Starting from 17th position in Belgium because of penalties, Bottas impressively climbed up to fourth place. He was elevated onto the podium in Italy following Max Verstappen’s penalty and secured pole position again in Russia; however, during that race he was instructed to yield position to Hamilton in order to support his teammate’s championship pursuit. His final podium of the season came at Japan, followed by consistent fifth-place finishes across the last four events.

Bottas concluded 2018 without recording a victory—the first Mercedes driver since Michael Schumacher in 2012 to do so—and set a record by finishing second seven times without winning any race that season. He placed fifth overall with 247 points while Hamilton captured his fifth world championship with 408 points. Reflecting on that year, Bottas described it as his worst Formula One campaign and later disclosed that he nearly quit racing after losing his passion for F1.

2019–2020: Championship Second Place Finishes

In July 2018, Bottas renewed his contract with Mercedes for the 2019 season, including an option to continue in 2020, remaining Hamilton’s teammate. At the , he qualified in second place and overtook Hamilton immediately at the first corner, securing his fourth Grand Prix win by more than 20 seconds. Following this victory, he addressed critics regarding his 2018 form via a radio message. He finished runner-up to Hamilton at the , earned pole position at the , but lost the lead at the start, and later won from pole at the , briefly taking the championship lead.

After the Azerbaijan race, Hamilton dominated by winning four consecutive events. Bottas achieved his third straight pole at the , yet again finished second behind Hamilton. He qualified second in Monaco but dropped to third after contact with Verstappen. Subsequent performances included a sixth-place qualifying and a finish off the podium in Canada, followed by second place in France and third in Austria—marking his first time finishing ahead of Hamilton since Azerbaijan. Despite securing pole at the British Grand Prix, a safety car phase saw him fall behind Hamilton. A late-race crash in Germany and front-wing damage in Hungary resulted in an eighth-place finish, leaving him 62 points behind Hamilton before the summer break.

Podium finishes ensued in Belgium, Italy (where he finished less than a second behind Leclerc), and Russia before Bottas claimed his sixth career victory at the , contributing to Mercedes’ sixth straight Constructors’ Championship. A significant qualifying crash in Mexico forced him to start sixth, but he recovered to finish third. He converted pole into a win at the , although Hamilton secured the championship with two rounds remaining. Bottas retired due to engine failure in Brazil and ended the season fourth in Abu Dhabi after starting from the back.

Concluding 2019 as championship runner-up, Bottas amassed 326 points compared to Hamilton’s 413, achieving four wins, fifteen podiums, five poles, and three fastest laps—his best season with Mercedes to date. Team principals ranked him as the fourth-best driver overall; Bottas himself acknowledged improved consistency while still striving for peak performance.

Bottas continued with Mercedes into 2020 on a one-year contract extension signed during 2019. He led pre-season testing times and secured both pole position and victory at the opening round in Austria. Before the Styrian Grand Prix, he faced an investigation over a possible COVID-19 protocol violation but was cleared. Starting fourth on a wet grid, he finished second behind Hamilton.

At Hungary, Bottas qualified second but lost positions following a false start penalty; he recovered to third yet ceded the championship lead to Hamilton. Again qualifying second at Britain, he suffered a late tyre failure that dropped him to 11th place. After claiming pole at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, tyre troubles caused him to fall behind Verstappen and slip to third in the Drivers' Championship standings.

In Spain, Bottas started from second but lost places early on and finished third, remarking that his championship hopes were "drifting away." He took second-place finishes in Belgium and Italy despite early setbacks in Italy; Verstappen’s retirement allowed Bottas to reclaim second overall. At Tuscany, he initially led but ended up second following a red-flagged race restart. Benefiting from penalties imposed on Hamilton, Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix—his ninth career victory.

He secured pole position at Eifel but retired due to power loss after being passed by Hamilton, which extended Hamilton’s lead by 69 points. Bottas finished runner-up in Portugal and Emilia Romagna; despite early damage at Imola, he regained second place after Verstappen’s retirement.

Mercedes encountered difficulties during wet qualifying in Turkey; Bottas started ninth but spun six times during the race after sustaining front-wing damage, finishing 14th and effectively handing Hamilton an insurmountable championship lead. At Bahrain, he qualified second but suffered a puncture during an early safety car period that dropped him to eighth place.

With Hamilton sidelined by COVID-19 for the Sakhir Grand Prix, Bottas teamed up with George Russell and narrowly took pole by 0.026 seconds over Russell. However, a tyre mix-up relegated both drivers down the order; Bottas ultimately finished eighth. In Abu Dhabi’s season finale, he qualified and finished second ahead of Hamilton.

Bottas closed out 2020 as championship runner-up once more with 223 points compared to Hamilton’s 347, recording two victories, five poles, eleven podiums, and two fastest laps. He voiced dissatisfaction at finishing second again while Hamilton observed that unfortunate circumstances had widened their points gap.

2021: Concluding Year with Mercedes

Bottas renewed his contract with Mercedes for the 2021 season. He began the year by qualifying and finishing third at the opening Bahrain Grand Prix. During the , he started from eighth on the grid and was involved in a high-velocity collision with George Russell; both drivers initially placed blame on each other, though Russell subsequently issued an apology. Bottas secured pole position at the Portuguese Grand Prix but dropped behind Hamilton and Verstappen during the race, later retiring due to a sensor malfunction. He earned podium finishes at the Spanish Grand Prix (third place) and (third), despite facing a grid penalty.

At Monaco, Bottas qualified third and was running second before retiring because of a wheel issue during a pit stop. In Azerbaijan, he qualified 10th, finished 12th, and stood sixth in the Drivers' Championship standings at that point. He started third at the French Grand Prix but lost a podium spot due to strategic mistakes. Nevertheless, he bounced back with second place in Austria and third in Britain. Following an incident that caused a crash in Hungary, Bottas received a grid penalty.

He climbed back to third in the Drivers' Championship by securing podiums at both the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix; notably, despite starting last in Italy due to power unit changes, he finished on the podium after Pérez received a penalty. At Russia, another engine change relegated him to the rear of the field, but well-timed pit stops helped him secure fifth place. After Hamilton's penalty in Turkey, Bottas started from pole and achieved his only victory of 2021 by overtaking Leclerc.

Additional engine penalties impacted his starting positions in the United States and Mexico City Grands Prix; in Mexico, strategic pit stops prevented Verstappen from obtaining the fastest lap point. Bottas won the sprint qualifying event in São Paulo but finished behind Hamilton and Verstappen during the main race. A grid penalty preceded his retirement at Qatar; however, he managed a podium finish in Saudi Arabia by overtaking Ocon near the race's conclusion. He wrapped up the season sixth in Abu Dhabi.

Concluding 2021, Bottas secured third place in the World Drivers' Championship with 226 points and played a key role in Mercedes clinching their eighth consecutive World Constructors' Championship. In September, it was confirmed that 2021 would mark his final year with Mercedes as George Russell was announced as his replacement. Bottas reflected on his time with Mercedes as "a privilege and a great sporting challenge," while team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged his valuable contributions to their championship pursuits.

2022

Valtteri Bottas signed a multi-year contract with Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season, teaming up with rookie Zhou Guanyu. He regarded this transition as "somewhat of a project" and felt a responsibility to lead and develop the team. At Bahrain’s season opener, Bottas recovered from 14th on the grid to finish sixth. He retired from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to cooling system failure and ended his streak of 103 consecutive Q3 appearances by qualifying only 12th in Australia, where he finished eighth.

Setting his sights on a top-five finish at Emilia Romagna, Bottas achieved fifth place despite encountering a slow pit stop. At Miami, he qualified fifth despite limited practice time but lost positions late during the race. In Spain, starting seventh on the grid, he ran as high as fourth before tyre wear caused him to drop back to sixth.

Qualifying 12th at Monaco, Bottas finished ninth but failed to score points for the first time all season at Azerbaijan. Benefiting from a safety car period and Alonso’s penalty, he finished seventh in Canada. However, this was followed by a ten-race stretch without points that included retirements at the British Grand Prix due to gearbox problems and three consecutive retirements at Hungary, Belgium, and the Dutch Grand Prix caused by reliability issues with the Alfa Romeo C42. Bottas admitted that competing teams had developed their cars more effectively than Alfa Romeo during this period.

After spinning off and retiring from the United States Grand Prix, he returned to scoring points with tenth place in Mexico City and ninth in São Paulo despite qualifying 18th for both events. Bottas completed the year tenth in the Drivers' Championship with 49 points—substantially ahead of teammate Zhou’s six—and contributed to Alfa Romeo securing sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since 2012. Reflecting on 2022, he described it as "probably my most enjoyable season," highlighting contract stability and a more relaxed atmosphere compared to his time at Mercedes. Industry experts commended his performances throughout the year, noting that they enhanced his standing beyond what was seen during his final Mercedes seasons.

2023

In the 2023 season, Bottas remained with Alfa Romeo, partnering Zhou. He kicked off the year by qualifying 12th and securing eighth place at the . However, a debris-related complication resulted in an 18th-place finish at the . Starting from the pit lane at the , he managed to climb to 11th, aided by several retirements. Another 18th-place finish followed in Azerbaijan, where Bottas remarked that the C43 offered improved handling compared to its predecessor but lacked competitive speed. He advanced to Q3 at the , though ended outside the points.

Bottas earned his first points since Bahrain at the , moving into the top 10 after a penalty was handed to another competitor. At the , a mechanical failure and subsequent disqualification from qualifying forced him to start 20th, but he recovered to finish 12th. After this race, Bottas admitted that Alfa Romeo was "not meeting the targets we've set," with the team positioned ninth in the Constructors' Championship standings.

Both Alfa Romeo drivers made it into Q3 at the , with Zhou in fifth and Bottas in seventh; however, neither scored points due to sluggish starts during the race. Bottas secured his third points finish at the , advancing from 14th on the grid to finish 10th. This was followed by two retirements caused by technical faults and collisions in Singapore and Japan. His fourth and final points finish came with an eighth-place result at the , where he highlighted that the team had finally grasped how to optimize car upgrades. He reached Q3 once more in Mexico City but finished outside point-scoring positions after being involved in a collision. Both drivers retired due to reliability problems at São Paulo. Starting seventh in Las Vegas, Bottas was caught up in an early crash and ended up 17th.

He closed out the season 15th in the World Drivers' Championship with ten points, outperforming Zhou’s six, while Alfa Romeo ranked ninth among ten teams in the Constructors' standings. Bottas qualified ahead of Zhou in 15 of 22 events but described 2023 as a "tough ride," acknowledging gradual progress that "isn't enough."

2024

For the 2024 season, both Bottas and Zhou were retained as the outfit rebranded to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber following the conclusion of its collaboration with Alfa Romeo. Bottas qualified 16th at the opening round but dropped to 19th after a prolonged 52-second pit stop. Persistent pit stop difficulties continued, including issues at the , which Bottas called a "wake-up call" for a poor start to the season. At another event, a wheel nut complication cost him an additional 28 seconds during a pit stop, resulting in a €5,000 fine imposed on the team for safety violations.

He reached Q3 for the first time in 2024 during qualifying at , securing 10th place before retiring due to engine failure—the team's first retirement of that year. Bottas was knocked out in Q1 over the next four races, commenting that there was still "work to do" for improvement. Minor upgrades for the C44 were planned ahead of , where he qualified 12th but failed to score points. Subsequent Q2 qualifications occurred at both the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix. However, at , both drivers finished near the back—19th and 20th respectively—with Bottas describing it as their weakest performance and citing ongoing "long-term" challenges.

Approaching 2025 without a confirmed contract, Bottas entered discussions with Audi ahead of their acquisition of Sauber. After Audi signed Nico Hülkenberg for that season, Bottas expressed optimism about securing a seat but acknowledged diminishing opportunities as Audi selected rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for their second driver position. Sauber’s form improved late in the campaign: Bottas qualified 11th at , finished just outside points in 11th at , where Zhou scored their sole points with an eighth-place finish, and reached Q3 again at before retiring due to collision damage. Bottas described these late-season gains as "ironic," given his impending departure.

He finished 22nd overall in the World Drivers' Championship—the lowest among full-time competitors—and failed to register any points for the first time in his career. Reflecting on his three seasons with Sauber, Bottas called joining in 2022 a "mistake," noting that performance declined after his initial year. He revealed that team principal Frédéric Vasseur influenced his decision and that he considered leaving when Vasseur moved to Ferrari but ultimately stayed following assurances he would play a central role in Audi's future plans.

Mercedes reserve driver (2025)

In December 2024, Bottas returned to Mercedes to serve as their reserve driver for the upcoming season. He likened this decision to "coming back home" and expressed his ambition to secure a full-time racing position in 2025. Bottas disclosed that he turned down an opportunity in the IndyCar Series, citing difficulties in transitioning after spending twelve years in Formula One. In March, he participated in a private test session with the McLaren MCL60 as part of a reserve driver sharing agreement between Mercedes and McLaren.

Rallying

Bottas took part in the Arctic Rally in January 2019, where he claimed victory in one stage and ended the event fifth overall. Later that year, in December, he won the Rallycircuit Côte d'Azur held at Paul Ricard. Returning to the Arctic Lapland Rally in 2020, he competed behind the wheel of a Citroën DS3 WRC and finished ninth. Additionally, Bottas was involved in an Extreme E testing session in October 2020 alongside Jean-Éric Vergne and Sébastien Loeb. In January 2021, he once again entered the Arctic Lapland Rally, achieving a podium finish in his class and placing sixth overall.

Race of Champions

Bottas was scheduled to make his debut at the 2022 Race of Champions, partnering with two-time Formula One World Champion Mika Häkkinen. However, he withdrew shortly before the event. The following year, Bottas competed at the 2023 Race of Champions alongside Häkkinen. Representing Finland in the Nations Cup, the duo was eliminated by Team eROC’s Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley after a tied race score of 2–2 but losing out on cumulative lap times. In the Champion of Champions competition, Bottas was knocked out by Tom Kristensen.

Business

In March 2021, Bottas purchased a 10% ownership stake in Lahti Pelicans, a Finnish ice hockey team competing in the Liiga. He is also co-owner of Kahiwa Coffee Roasters, a coffee roasting company based in Lahti, Finland. In April 2022, together with his partner Tiffany Cromwell, he launched Oath, a premium gin brand that celebrates their Australian and Finnish roots.

Prior to the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Bottas teamed up with coffee company ST. ALi and took on a barista role at one of their Melbourne cafés.

Gravel cycling

Bottas is a founding partner of FNLD GRVL, a gravel cycling event hosted in Lahti, Finland. The event is organized jointly with his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell and American cyclist Amy Charity from SBT GRVL. In 2024, Bottas competed in the men's 35–39 age category at the UCI Gravel World Championships held in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, finishing 134th out of 233 participants. His qualification for this event came after securing sixth place out of 24 competitors in his age group at South Africa’s Swartberg 100 gravel race earlier that year.

Philanthropy

Since 2017, Bottas has organized the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon, an annual sporting event in Finland aimed at raising charitable funds. In May 2022, collaborating with German photographer Paul Ripke, more than 5,000 prints were sold featuring a photograph taken by Cromwell of Bottas in Aspen; this initiative raised over €50,000 for charity. In 2023, Bottas and Ripke produced a nude calendar titled BOTTASS 2024 which generated $150,000 for Movember, an organization supporting men’s health causes.

Personal life

On 11 September 2016, Bottas tied the knot with his longtime partner, Emilia Pikkarainen, an Olympic swimmer. Their wedding took place at St. John's Church in Helsinki. Bottas revealed their separation and subsequent divorce on 28 November 2019, attributing it to difficulties related to his career. Since February 2020, he has been romantically involved with Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. Bottas currently lives in Monaco and also owns a lakeside property in Finland.

Formula One

Runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship: ,
Recipient of the DHL Fastest Lap Award: 2018
Awarded the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2018

Additional recognitions

Most Improved Driver Award by Sky Sports: 2014
Driver of the Year by Confartigianato Motori: 2017
AKK-Motorsport Driver of the Year: 2019

Summary of karting career

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	Kohtala Sports	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

Summary of racing career

{{{1}}}2025{{{1}}}Formula One{{{1}}}McLaren F1 Team colspan=""7"" style=""text-align:center;""Test driver

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
2007	Formula Renault UK Winter Series	AKA Cobra	4	3	0	1	4	"0"	"NC†"
2008	2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0	Motopark Academy	"14"	"5"	"7"	"4"	"10"	"139"	"style=background:#FFFFBF;" 1st"
2008	2008 Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup	"14"	"12"	"13"	"12"	"12"	"365"	"style=background:#FFFFBF;" 1st"
2009	2009 Formula 3 Euro Series	ART Grand Prix	"20"	"0"	"2"	"1"	"6"	"62"	"style=background:#FFDF9F;" 3rd"
	2009 British Formula 3 season	"4"	"0"	"0"	"0"	"1"	"N/A"	"NC†"
	2009 Masters of Formula 3	"1"	"1"	"1"	"1"	"1"	"N/A"	"style=background:#FFFFBF;" 1st "
	2009 Macau Grand Prix	"1"	"0"	"0"	"0"	"0"	"N/A"	"5th "
2010	2010 Formula 3 Euro Series	ART Grand Prix	"18 "	"2 "	"1 "	"4 "	"8 "	"74 "	'style=background:#FFDF9F;' 3rd
	'2010 Masters of Formula 3'	'1'	'1'	'0'	'0'	'1'	'N/A'	'style=background:#FFFFBF;' 1st
	'2010 Macau Grand Prix'	'Prema Powerteam'	'1'	'0'	'0'	'0'	'1'	'N/A'	'style=background:#FFDF9F;' 3rd
	'2010 Formula One World Championship'	'WilliamsF1 (AT&T Williams)'	'colspan='7 Test driver '
rowspan=4' '2011 '	'align=left' '2011 GP3 Series '	'align=left' 'Lotus Cars ART Grand Prix '	'16 '	'4 '	'1 '	'3 '	'7 '	'62 '	'style='background:#ffffbf;' 1st
'align=left' '2011 British Formula 3 season '	'align=left rowspan='2' 'Double R Racing '	'3 '	'1 '	'0 '	'1 '	'1 '	'17 '	'17th '
'align=left' '2011 Macau Grand Prix '	'1 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'N/A '	'NC '
'align=left' '2011 Formula One World Championship '	'align=left' 'WilliamsF1 (AT&T Williams) '	'colspan='7 Test driver '
'2012 '	'align=left' '2012 Formula One World Championship '	'align=left' 'Williams F1 Team '	'colspan='7 Reserve driver '
'2013 '	'align=left' '2013 Formula One World Championship '	'align=left' 'Williams F1 Team '	'19 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'4 '	'17th '
'2014 '	'align=left' '2014 Formula One World Championship '	'rowspan='3' align='left' 'Williams Martini Racing '	'19 '	'0 '	'0 '	'1 '	'6 '	'186 '	'4th '
'2015 '	'align=left' '2015 Formula One World Championship '	'19 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'2 '	'136 '	'5th '
'2016 '	'align=left' '2016 Formula One World Championship '	'21 '	'0 '	'0 '	'0 '	'1 '	'85 '	'8th '
'2017 '	'align=left' ''2017 Formula One World Championship' '	'rowspan='3' align='left' ''Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport' '	'20 '	'3 '	'4 '	'2 '	'13 '	'305 '	important;background:#FFDF9F;' 3rd
'2018 '.	important;align:left; ''2018 Formula One World Championship''	important; ''#2018R''	important;21	important;0	important;2	important;7	important;8	important;247	important;background:#FFDF9F;' 5th
important;'2019	important; ''#2019R''	important;21	important;4	important;5	important;3	important;15	important;326	important;background:#dfdfdf;' 2nd
important;'2020	important; ''#2020R''	important;rowspan='2'; ''Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team''	important;17	important;2	important;5	important;2	important;11	important;background:#DFDFDF;' 2nd
important;'2021	important; ''#2021R''	important;22	important;1	important;4	important;4	important;11	important;background:#FFDF9F;' 3rd
important;'2022	important; ''#2022R''	important; ''Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen''	important;22	important;0	important;0	important;0	important;0	important;49	important;10th
important;'2023	important;'[ ['#2023R'] ]	Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake'] ]	important;'22	important;'0	important;'0	important;'0	important;'0	important;'10	important;'15th
=2024	= '[ ['2024 Formula One World Championship'] ]	Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber'] ]	=24	=0	=0	=0	=0	=0	=22nd
= rowspan='2' 2025 \|- {{{1}}}2025 {{{1}}}Formula One {{{1}}}Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team colspan=""7"" style=""text-align:center;""Reserve driver

^† As Bottas competed as a guest driver, he was not eligible to earn points.

Full Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Results

(legend) (Races shown in bold represent pole positions; those in italics denote fastest laps.)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final Position	Points
2007	Koiranen Bros. Motorsport	ZAN 1 4	ZAN 2 2	OSC 1 5	OSC 2 3	ASS 1 2	ASS 2 4	ZOL 1 5	ZOL 2 5	NUR 1 6	NUR 2 6	OSC 1 Ret	OSC 2 3	SPA 1 5	SPA 2 12	HOC 1 1	HOC 2 1	3rd	279
2008	Motopark Academy	HOC 1 1	HOC 2 1	ZAN 1 1	ZAN 2 1	ALA 1 1	ALA 2 1				<style="background:#EFCFFF;">[[Circuit Zolder#ZOL 1]] Ret <style="background:#DFFFDF;">[[Circuit Zolder#ZOL 2]] 16†					1st	365

Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results

(legend) (Entries in bold mark pole positions; those in italics signify fastest laps.)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final Position	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	style="background:#DFFFDF;" \| [[Circuit de Catalunya	CAT 2]] 4	1st	139

Full Formula 3 Euro Series Results

(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole positions; races in italics signify fastest laps.)

Year	Team	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 Retired	HOC 2 16th	LAU 1 2nd	LAU 2 13th	NOR 1 12th	NOR 2 Retired	ZAN 1 2nd	ZAN 2 6th	... ... ...

Complete GP3 Series Results

(key) (Pole positions are marked in bold; fastest laps appear in italics.)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Position	Points
2011	Lotus ART	IST Feature 4th	IST Sprint 8th	CAT Feature 10th	CAT Sprint 7th	VAL Feature 7th	VAL Sprint 3rd	SIL Feature 15th	SIL Sprint 12th	NÜR Feature 3rd	NÜR Sprint 1st	HUN Feature 1st	HUN Sprint 2nd	SPA Feature 1st	SPA Sprint 19th	MNZ Feature 1st	MNZ Sprint 17th	Champion	62

Comprehensive Formula One Results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; those in italics represent fastest laps.)

... [Tables covering seasons 2012–2024 with details on race outcomes, teams, chassis, engines, finishing positions, and accumulated points] ... ^{{{1}}} Classified despite not finishing (completed over 90% of race distance).

Year	Team	Car	Power Unit	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	WDC	Points

External links

ESPN Profile