Valtteri Bottas Reveals "Cruel" Experience At Mercedes That Almost Led Him To Quit F1

Saajan Jogia | Aug 14, 2024

Nov 2, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Valtteri Bottas (77) of Finland speaks to the media after winning pole position in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Sauber F1 driver Valtteri Bottas revealed a mentally-draining period from his Mercedes days in 2018, when he contemplated leaving the world of Formula 1 because it was so "cruel" to him. However, the Finnish driver eventually brought himself back to form after learning to "look at the big picture."

Bottas raced for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, a period that saw him flourish in the premier class of motorsport. However, he also experienced several controversial moments during his tenure alongside Lewis Hamilton, often coming under the wrath of team orders to maintain the position that offered Hamilton the advantage.

The 34-year-old driver revealed 2018 as the year that affected him the most, as he entered his second season with Mercedes with ambitions of a title challenge but fell well short, finishing 161 points behind Hamilton. His biggest setback came when he was instructed to stay behind Hamilton in Germany, followed by another encounter later where he had to give up the lead to his teammate in Russia.

In addition, Bottas faced a series of frustrations throughout the season, including a poorly timed safety car in China and a late puncture in Baku that cost him likely victories. These setbacks, compounded by a grueling and winless campaign, nearly drove him to consider quitting the sport.

Talking about his encounter and how he eventually lifted himself following his win in the 2019 season opener, he revealed on the Pitlane Life Lessons podcast:

“There’s been many lessons in this sport.

“I’ve gone [through] so much.

“I’ve gone to a phase that I almost quit my career because I was fed up with the F1 world and I thought it was cruel to me.”

When he was asked the exact moment of the experience, he said:

“That was the end of ’18.

“Somehow I managed to pick myself up and win the first race of ’19. So that was the turning point for me.

“I think in the end I understood myself that sometimes you need time, sometimes you need to step back, really look at the big picture.

“And that’s quite often what I use nowadays in life. If there’s a tiny little setback somewhere, I try to just take a step back and look at the big picture, ‘Okay things are actually quite okay’.

“I’ve got family, they’re healthy, I’m still driving a race car what I love, I’ve got a roof on my top.”

Bottas is among the few drivers yet to secure a seat for the 2025 season. A contract extension with Sauber, soon to be fully acquired by Audi, seems increasingly likely, especially after his recent social media post where he was seen posing with an Audi R8 adorned with his signature racing number 77. This subtle hint has fueled speculation about his future with the team that is undergoing transformation.