He didn’t want to admit the situation for a long time, says Valtteri Bottas today about his time at Mercedes and the team-internal duel with Lewis Hamilton
For five years, Valtteri Bottas drove alongside Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes Formula 1 team and was clearly inferior to his team-mate. During their time together, Hamilton won 50 Grands Prix and four drivers’ titles, while Bottas took ten victories and two runner-up titles
Looking back on it today, Bottas admits: “I was in a state of denial for almost five years because I wanted to come back into the season every year and then fight for the title, and I had to believe in myself.”
In an interview with Motorsport.com, the Finn reveals that this only changed in his final season at Mercedes in 2021 – after it became clear that he would lose his seat to George Russell of Williams. Only then did he come to terms with losing out in a direct duel with Hamilton.
“It was only when I knew I was leaving the team that I realized I could handle certain things a little better. I was able to accept some of these things,” says Bottas. “You certainly go through things like that in your career.”
“In the team with Lewis, it was only last year that I was able to accept that I really struggled to beat him in the same car for a whole season and that he is probably better in certain areas. As a racing driver, it’s hard to admit that to yourself,” admits the 34-year-old.
He suspects that Sergio Perez is going through “a similar experience” in the team-internal comparison with Max Verstappen. He is also clearly inferior to his team-mate Max Verstappen, who won 19 Grands Prix and the third title in a row in 2023
When asked how Mercedes dealt with the situation at the time, Bottas said: “We always had very open meetings. Everything is based on facts and what they can see from the data. You could see the average difference in qualifying or race pace. Nothing was left out.”
“I have no regrets because it was tricky for me because I always had a one-year contract. I knew that if I wanted to fight for the title, I had to do well with the team. If I started being an asshole, I would lose my job pretty quickly. They could always find someone else. “