Former team boss Günther Steiner takes a close look at the Cadillac drivers. What stands out to the Italian in his analysis is that Valtteri Bottas – who was last year still the reserve driver at Mercedes – is losing out to his teammate Sergio Pérez. According to Steiner, the Finn has somewhat given up: “It’s as if he thinks: ‘Now I have to put in all that effort only to end up last’.” The former team boss therefore also doubts Bottas’s future at Cadillac.
Valtteri Bottas is back full-time in a Formula 1 seat this season after a year on the sidelines as reserve driver for Mercedes. The Finn drives for American newcomer Cadillac, but currently sits at the bottom of the drivers’ championship with no World Championship points to his name. He also loses out to teammate Sergio Pérez: the Mexican qualified ahead of the Finn nine times for both Grands Prix and sprint races.
Former team boss Günther Steiner examines Bottas’s current situation. For the Red Flags podcast, the Italian assessed the first half of the current season. Steiner just gave Sergio Pérez a passing grade for his performances at Cadillac. “He is doing better than his teammate,” said Steiner. “He is doing his best, but if the car breaks down, he is slow. What can he do about that? You judge them on the effort they show, because it’s so easy for a driver to get frustrated and then do nothing at all.”
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Insufficient for Bottas
Steiner was less kind to Bottas. “I think I would just give him a failing grade,” continued the former team boss. “Pérez is simply better than him at the moment. While Pérez is still trying to make something of it, Valtteri seems to have somewhat given up. If Cadillac has to replace one driver, I naturally think they will replace Valtteri.”
“His results are not that good,” Steiner immediately gave the reason why. “I think Valtteri expected something different, but not this. Now it’s as if he thinks: ‘Yes, I’m driving a Formula 1 car, but I had a good job at Mercedes as a reserve driver. As a reserve driver, I was last because I wasn’t competing, and now I have to put in all that effort to be last.’”
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