Valtteri Bottas does not understand why some fellow drivers, including Max Verstappen, own a private jet. According to the Finn, several Formula 1 veterans travel to and from the various Grands Prix in their own planes. Bottas himself never bought a private jet in his long career in the premier class; from a financial perspective, he says it cannot be justified.
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On the Instagram channel of What’s Next?, Bottas was asked by photographer and collaborator Paul Ripke about Max Verstappen’s private jet. It is well known that the four-time world champion travels in a personalized aircraft. Last year, the Dutchman traded his Falcon 900EX for a larger model, the Falcon 8X. That one was also finished in the familiar Verstappen colors and received the registration number PH-UTL, a nod to his official Unleash The Lion motto.
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“Quite a few drivers have a private jet,” said Bottas. “Sergio Pérez for sure, but Alonso and Verstappen too.” Why doesn’t he own a plane himself? “Because it makes no sense financially,” he explained. “It’s much more efficient to charter. I don’t like wasting money on certain things. That’s the simple reason,” he concluded.
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