Valtteri Bottas: The Finnish Formula One Sensation

Valtteri Bottas is a Finnish racing driver competing in Formula One for Mercedes. Motorsports. He is a supremely gifted driver, probably best known for his partnership with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. He is presently the lead driver for Alfa Romeo.

Valtteri is one of the few real gentlemen left in F1, and he will not do anything that is not considered sportsman-like. This has worked against him in the past, where he has not shown the sheer single-minded purpose to win a championship.

This article will discuss Valtteri Bottas’ early life, his family, his education, his journey into motorsports, and his time in Formula One.

Early Life And Family

He was born on August 28, 1989, in Natola, a small town in southern Finland, to parents Rauno and Marianne Bottas. He grew up with a sister and brother. Valtteri Bottas grew up in a family passionate about motorsports and supported him in his racing career.

Valtteri Bottas Parents

His father, Rauno Bottas, was a rally driver and a mechanic, and his mother, Marianne, was an Olympic-level swimmer.

Valtteri Bottas Brother

Valtteri’s younger brother, Antti, is also involved in motor racing as a co-driver in rally racing.

Valtteri Bottas Sister

Valtteri Bottas, his sister, Tiia, works in fitness and nutrition.

Bottas’ father introduced him to motorsports at a young age, and he began competing in karting events when he was just six years old. He quickly showed talent and a love for the sport, and his parents supported him in pursuing his passion.

Valtteri Bottas Schooling And Early Career

Bottas attended Heinola High School, where he studied business and economics. While passionate about motorsports, he also understood the importance of education and wanted a backup plan in case his racing career did not work out.

Bottas attended Heinola secondary school, where he excelled academically and showed interest in sports. He began karting at six and quickly showed a natural talent for racing. Bottas won his first Finnish karting championship at 13 and several more championships over the following years.

Valtteri Bottas Ex-Wife

In 2016 Valtteri and Finnish swimmer Emilia Pikkarainen married.

Emilia (born October 11, 1992) is an impressive swimmer in her own right.

She holds the following Finnish records.

• 50 meters butterfly (26.90)
• 100 meters butterfly (59.02)
• 200 meters butterfly (2:10.89)
• 200 meters individual medley.

In the 2012 Olympics, she competed in the 100 and 200 meters butterfly and the 200 meters individual medley.

In the 2016 Olympics, she competed in the Finnish team in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay.

Sadly on November 28, 2019, the couple announced they were divorcing advising that “our ways have split because of the challenges my career and life situation bring.”

Who Is Valtteri Bottas Dating?

Valtteri has announced that he is dating Tiffany Cromwell.

Tiffany is an Australian road and gravel cyclist, and she currently rides for UCI Women’s WorldTeam Canyon-SRAM.

Valtteri Bottas – Karting

He began karting at six and quickly showed a natural talent for racing. Bottas won his first Finnish karting championship at 13 and several more championships over the following years.

Valtteri quickly established himself as a talented and determined driver, winning several races and championships.

Valtteri Bottas – Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup

In 2007, Bottas moved up to car racing, competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. He finished fifth in the championship and also took part in a few races in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup.

In 2008, Bottas competed in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup full-time and finished third in the championship, taking his first win in the series at the Nürburgring. He also took part in a few races in the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup, finishing on the podium in his debut race at the Nürburgring.

Valtteri Bottas – Formula Three Euro Series

In 2007, Bottas moved up to car racing, competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. He finished fifth in the championship and participated in a few races in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup.

In 2008, Bottas competed full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and finished third in the championship, taking his first win in the series at the Nürburgring. He also participated in a few races in the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup, finishing on the podium in his debut at the Nürburgring.

Valtteri Bottas – GP3 Series

In 2010, Bottas debuted in the GP3 Series, a feeder category for Formula One. He was immediately impressive, winning the championship in his rookie season with four race wins and seven podium finishes. His performance caught the eye of several teams, including Williams, who offered him a development role for the 2011 season.

Bottas continued to impress in the Formula Three Euro and GP3 Series in 2011, winning several races and finishing third in both championships.

Successes And Achievements In Formula One

In 2012, he debuted in the Formula One Young Driver Test, driving for Williams. He also competed in several Friday practice sessions for the team during the 2012 season.

Valtteri Bottas – Williams

Bottas joined Williams as a test driver in 2010 and was promoted to a full-time race seat in 2013. He replaced Bruno Senna as the second driver alongside Pastor Maldonado and immediately showed promise with a solid debut performance at the Australian Grand Prix.

Valtteri qualified for 3rd position at the Canadian Grand Prix behind Sebastian Vettel (1st) and Lewis Hamilton (2nd). He scored his first points finish at the United States Grand Prix by finishing 8th.

Despite showing good pace and consistency throughout the 2013 season, Bottas could not secure a podium finish, finishing his rookie campaign in 17th place in the drivers’ standings.

17th position meant he finished ahead of Maldonado in the 2013 Drivers’ Championship.

His performances were strong enough to convince Williams to retain him for the following season.

Valtteri Bottas – Breakthrough in 2014

Bottas’ breakthrough season came in 2014, when he scored his first podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing in third place behind Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. This was a remarkable achievement for the young driver, giving him a much-needed boost in confidence and self-belief.

Bottas continued to impress throughout the 2014 season, finishing on the podium six times, including two second-place finishes at the British and German Grands Prix. He also scored his first pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix, beating both Mercedes drivers to the top spot on the grid.

Despite his impressive performances, Bottas finished the season in fourth place behind Hamilton, Rosberg, and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. However, his performances had not gone unnoticed, and he had caught the attention of the Mercedes team, who were looking for a replacement for retiring world champion Rosberg.

Valtteri Bottas Challenges In 2015

Bottas’ 2015 season was more challenging as he struggled to repeat his 2014-year form. The Williams car was not as competitive as it had been in 2014, and Bottas could not secure a podium finish until the Russian Grand Prix, where he finished third behind Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Bottas’ struggles were not entirely down to the car, as he also faced some personal challenges during the 2015 season. He suffered a back injury during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, which forced him to miss the race. He also had to cope with losing his father during the season, which understandably affected his performance on the track.

Despite these challenges, Bottas finished the season in fifth place in the drivers’ standings, ahead of his teammate Felipe Massa. However, his performances had not been as consistent as they had been in 2014, and he knew that he needed to step up his game to become a world champion.

Valtteri Bottas Final Season With Williams

Bottas’ final season with Williams in 2016 was a mixed one. The team had struggled to develop a competitive car, and Bottas could not secure a podium finish until the Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished third behind Hamilton and Vettel.

However, Bottas showed his resilience and determination by finishing in the points in every race except for the Italian Grand Prix, where he retired due to a technical problem. He also scored a pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix, beating both.

Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes

When Bottas arrived at Mercedes in 2017, he had big shoes to fill.

Nico Rosberg, who had won the 2016 Formula One World Championship, had just retired from the sport, leaving a vacant seat alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas had spent the previous four seasons racing for Williams, establishing himself as a consistent and reliable driver, earning nine podium finishes and one pole position.

Despite lacking experience with a top team like Mercedes, Bottas quickly proved himself a capable and competitive driver.

In his first race for the team, the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, he qualified in third place and finished on the podium in third place. This set the tone for a successful season for Bottas, who won three races and finished third in the Drivers’ Championship behind Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Bottas’ move to Mercedes in 2017 was a major step up in his career, as he joined the reigning world champions and took over the seat vacated by retiring world champion Nico Rosberg.

He was initially signed to a one-year contract, but he quickly showed his value to the team with strong performances on the track.

Bottas made an immediate impact in his debut season with Mercedes, scoring his first win with the team at the Russian Grand Prix. He followed this up with victories in Austria and Abu Dhabi and finished the season in third place in the drivers’ standings, behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Mercedes 2017

Bottas’ performances in 2017 proved that he could compete at the top of Formula 1, and he signed a contract extension for the 2018 season.

Bottas continued to be a consistent performer for Mercedes. He could not match Hamilton’s pace and finished the season in fifth place in the drivers’ standings.

Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes Challenges In 2019

Bottas’ 2019 season was a challenging one. He struggled to keep up with Hamilton and faced stiff competition from Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

Valtteri secured two wins at the Australian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. He finished fourth in the drivers’ standings behind Hamilton, Bottas, and Verstappen.

Bottas’ performances in 2019 were not up to the high standards he had set in previous seasons. He knew that he needed to improve if he wanted to challenge for the championship in the future.

He worked hard during the off-season to improve his fitness and mental approach. In 2020 he came back stronger in 2020.

Valtteri Bottas – Bottas’ Contributions To Mercedes

Bottas was a valuable asset to the team, helping them win four consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2017 to 2020.

His consistency and ability to score points regularly were crucial to the team’s success. It allowed them to build up a lead in the Constructors’ Championship.

Bottas was also a great teammate to Lewis Hamilton, who has won seven Drivers’ Championships. Bottas had shown he can win races and challenge for the championship.

This was good for Lewis and helped keep him on his toes. Lewis says it prevented him from becoming complacent, ultimately benefiting the team.

Despite often challenging Lewis, there were none of the theatrics associated with Lewis’s time with Nico Rosberg.

Perhaps one of Bottas’ most significant contributions to Mercedes was his ability to work well with the team.

He built strong relationships with his engineers and mechanics and is known for his collaborative and team-oriented approach. This helped to create a positive and supportive atmosphere within the team, which has undoubtedly contributed to their success.

Valtteri Bottas Challenges At Mercedes

While Bottas has undoubtedly been a valuable member of the Mercedes team. Despite this, he has faced his fair share of challenges since joining the team.

Perhaps the most significant of these challenges has been the intense pressure to perform.

As a driver at Mercedes, Bottas was under constant scrutiny and was expected to perform at the highest level.

This pressure was particularly intense in his last year. During this time, Red Bull Racing was resurging. Bottas was expected to help the team maintain their dominance. He also had to compete against some of the best drivers in the world.

Through his time at Mercedes, the 33-year-old Finn won 10 races.

His form was down in the last year. It finally resulted in him being replaced by George Russel for the 2022 season.

His last F1 win was at the 2021 Turkish grand prix.

Valtteri Bottas – Alfa Romeo

He was replaced by George Russel. Valtteri Bottas signed a four-year deal with Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. The contract was effective 2022.

The team has been bought by Audi for the year 2023, and its future looks very bright.

With the major rule changes in 2026, the team will formally change its name to Audi F1.

He has stated that he enjoys his time on the smaller team, where he is the number one driver. He is proving to be a great mentor to the Chinese rookie driver Guanyu Zhou.

While Valtteri has had some good races with the new team, he is yet to move up the pack and challenge the front part of the midfield. Hopefully, the car can support him to do this before the 2026 season, when his contract expires.

Valtteri Bottas – Salary

Bottas earns $10 million per annum at Alfa Romeo.

Valtteri Bottas – Height

He is 1,73m high, and he weighs 69 kg.

Follow this link to see all the other F1 drivers’ heights and weights.

Valtteri Bottas – Cars

Check Out Our Indepth analysis of Valtteri Bottas Cars – link