Valtteri Bottas Biography
Valtteri Bottas Biography
It was a case of right place, right time for Valtteri Bottas when Nico Rosberg shocked Formula 1 by retiring after his title win in 2016, paving the way for Bottas to join Mercedes from Williams. Bottas enjoyed an impressive junior career, following pair of third-place finishes in European Formula 3 with a title triumph in the 2011 GP3 Series, paving his way to F1.
Signing for Williams and modest success
Williams signed Bottas as test driver in 2010, a role he held for three season, including a year of full-time reserve duties in 2012 behind Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna. Bottas partnered Maldonado the following year after replacing Senna in the race line-up, scoring four of the paltry five points scored by Williams that season with an eighth-place finish in the United States Grand Prix. Despite a year of struggle, Bottas generally outperformed his more experienced, if erratic team-mate, retaining his place on the team for 2014.
That season saw a sharp upturn in Williams' fortunes as a new power unit deal with Mercedes, sponsorship from Martini and the arrival of Felipe Massa from Ferrari gave Williams a whole new look. Bottas thrived, taking a maiden podium in Austria and further top-three results in Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Russia and Abu Dhabi to finish the season fourth in the drivers' championship, ahead of reigning champion Sebastian Vettel.
Further podiums followed in 2015 (Canada, Mexico) and 2016 (Canada again) but Williams were starting to drop down the constructors' standings – Bottas, however, was about to go right to the top.
Move to Mercedes, career firsts
Rosberg's shock decision prompted a scramble from Mercedes to find a replacement just three months before pre-season testing would begin. Team principal Toto Wolff had previously been part of Bottas' management and signed him to the constructors' champions alongside multi-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas started well, securing a maiden pole position in his third race in Bahrain, finishing third, but it wasn't long before he was on the top step of the podium. In fact, it was the very next race in Russia, as Bottas became the fifth Finn to win a grand prix. He won from pole in Austria later that year and did so again in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, although Hamilton had already wrapped up his fourth title by that point.
A season to forget followed in 2018 as Bottas failed to win a single race in 2018, despite Mercedes once again winning the constructors' championship and Hamilton securing crown number five. After unfortunate near-misses in Bahrain, China and Azerbaijan, Bottas' form began to slip and he was soon too far off Hamilton to be considered a title rival, prompting Mercedes' decision to deploy team orders which saw Hamilton take a Russian GP win away from Bottas after he had taken pole position and dominated.
Bottas returned in 2019 a different man. The Finn was more feisty and fired up than ever before. A dominant performance at the season opener in Melbourne saw Bottas lead Hamilton home by 20 seconds to instantly put right the wrongs of the season before. Three further victories in Azerbaijan, Japan and the USA lay the foundations for Bottas to beat both Ferrari drivers and Max Verstappen to second in the final standings.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Vettel announces F1 return as FIA single Mercedes out for Miami checks - GPFans F1 Recap
- 41 minutes ago
F1 team announce SHOCK signing weeks after rival departure
- 1 hour ago
Former team boss quizzed on role in Newey's Red Bull exit
- 2 hours ago
RB reveal STRIKING new livery ahead of Miami GP
- 3 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Insider claims F1 Academy and W Series couldn't co-exist
- Yesterday 19:57
Wolff delivers big verdict on Hamilton behaviour
- Yesterday 18:57
Related news
Current F1 star qualifies for world championship race on two wheels
F1 winner stars in HILARIOUS viral clip as rivals hail 'legend'
F1 star admits Red Bull concern which affects the 'whole wide world'
F1 winner shares HIGH praise for key figure in team's turnaround
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860