Valtteri Bottas was for years the Mercedes teammate of Lewis Hamilton, often playing second fiddle in that role. For the Finn, the team order during the 2018 Russian Grand Prix was especially painful, when he had to sacrifice his victory for the Brit. Bottas now reveals how he almost turned his back on F1 afterwards: ‘To this day, I have mixed feelings about it’.
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Valtteri Bottas was Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021. The Finn therefore regularly dealt with team orders, such as during the 2018 Russian Grand Prix. Bottas was told by then Mercedes strategist James Vowles that he had to give the lead in the race to Hamilton.
Although the relationship between Bottas, Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is good nowadays, the current Cadillac driver reveals that he almost hung up his racing helmet in 2019. “Sometimes your bosses tell you it’s a team sport, and that you have to take it easy and make way,” Bottas writes in a column for the Players’ Tribune.
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Almost quit F1
“Do you know how much I just wanted to say no? But I had to be a good teammate. I let him through, and of course he had an incredible season. He became champion. I was the ‘wingman’. To this day, I have mixed feelings about it,” Bottas admits honestly. “I don’t know how to answer when people ask me about it, because Lewis is a great driver and a friend. I hold no grudge against Mercedes, Toto or anyone else. But the whole situation almost made me turn my back on the sport.”
According to the Finn, it was close to not returning to the grid in 2019. “I have to be honest… I was absolutely depressed and burned out. I hated racing. During that winter break before the 2019 season, I didn’t think I would come back. During that winter break, I decided I would retire.” However, Bottas decided to keep looking forward and fulfill his contract. Eventually, the Finn had to make way for George Russell in 2021.
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