Valtteri Bottas Retaliates Against Critics - 'Short Memories'

Valtteri Bottas is defending himself against critics by highlighting the struggles and challenges faced by Sauber.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Kick Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas (77) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Valtteri Bottas is pushing back against those questioning his form and future in Formula 1, arguing that the sport has "short memories."

As the Finnish driver navigates his final contract year with Sauber, which began in 2022, he's eyeing a spot when the team transitions to Audi's factory outfit in 2026. Bottas’ tenure at Sauber has been a rollercoaster, marked by an initial burst of success but recent struggles that have left the team floundering.

Upon joining Sauber, Bottas capitalized on a regulatory reset in 2022, achieving an impressive 51 points within the first nine races. However, since that promising start, Sauber has managed to garner only 20 points over the next 50 events. The 2024 season has been particularly challenging; Sauber remains the only team without a single point, hampered by the underperforming C45 car.

Whilst speaking to Motorsport Week, Bottas commented:

“I think there’s multiple things why we, let’s say, haven’t met the targets.

“Obviously we’ve had the second change in the leadership in the team recently, and I think the team has been trying to structure it for the better future for a while now.

“Now again with a new leader, let’s say. So things haven’t been that stable, and I think that can always reflect a bit the performance on track.”

Early in the season, Sauber battled significant pit stop problems, diverting valuable resources from car development. Bottas commented on this challenge, saying:

“In all seasons we’ve had our own issues. This year, in the beginning of the year, it was many of the pit stop issues that were actually costing quite a bit of resources and time to get sorted, instead of purely focussing on making the car better. So, yeah, it’s been not so stable in terms of the people we have.

“We’ve had recently people coming in, people leaving, so it’s more like everything is being shaped for the future. I think that has cost us some resources.”

On the track, Bottas has managed to outperform his teammate Zhou Guanyu, but the lack of competitive machinery makes it difficult for him to truly showcase his capability.

“Yeah, it’s not an easy situation to be in as a driver, because you struggle to prove what you can do.

“If people just look at the results, it’s quite easy to judge.

“But the main thing is I know how I’m performing, the team knows how I’m performing, and in the end that’s what matters.

“The people who know about driver performance, they will still see what you can do, what you can achieve if you have the machinery.”

Contrasting the previous leadership regime with the current one under Binotto, Bottas noted:

“It’s a tough one.

“I guess if people have short memories, let’s say with the previous leadership, they’ve only seen me in a car that doesn’t perform, and nothing before that close by.

“But I think the difference with Mattia is that he was in a battle against us when I was at Mercedes, and he could monitor what I can do, and I could steal some points from them, so he knows that. Like I said yesterday, I think we started the discussions in the right way with good respect, and that’s what I really appreciate.

“So we’ll continue the discussions, but for me it’s clear what I want, and what I want is to be in F1 until Audi joins.”

He concluded:

“I think that’s how the sport is.

“People get really short memories in this sport, but like I said, luckily there are still people who know. So I’m reliant on that."

Binotto saw first-hand what Bottas could do in capable machinery at Mercedes.

Looking ahead, Bottas is keen to continue in F1. With Sauber holding one of the two last unoccupied seats for the next season, uncertainties linger.