Every F1 team should want to be Bottas's Plan B

Valtteri Bottas wants to stay at Mercedes in 2019, as any driver in that situation would, but he's also a pragmatist. That's why he's admitted to considering a 'Plan B' just in case he is dropped in favour of Esteban Ocon, which remains a possibility given team boss Toto Wolff admitted before the start of the August break that this was the choice with which he is currently grappling.

Being cast aside by the best team in grand prix racing seems like the death sentence for a career, and it would be a body blow for Bottas. But it would be far from fatal, because once spat out from Mercedes he should be able to choose between a Plan B, C and D - and perhaps go even deeper into the alphabet given the experience and qualities he could take to a rival grand prix team. If the worst happens, most of the other teams on the grid should seriously consider signing him up for 2020.

That might seem like picking up a washed-up has-been - a failure who, axiomatically, would have been conclusively proved to be of no value because he's been discarded. But that's a fundamental misunderstanding of the challenge he faced at Mercedes and the reasons he might be dropped from the line-up. He has a huge amount to offer.

Excluding Mercedes, seven of the nine teams do not have a complete driver line-up under contract for next year. Every single one of them would do well to contemplate being Bottas's Plan B given the qualities he brings.

The strengths that Bottas has demonstrated are beyond question. A driver who can qualify within a tenth of a second of Hamilton on average, as he has in 2019, and who has beaten Hamilton on Saturdays one-third of the time during his two-and-a-half seasons at Mercedes is clearly very capable.

While his Sunday performances are a bigger concern, particularly where wheel-to-wheel combat and tyre management are concerned, he's also proved he can win races from the front. Even if his return of five victories in 53 Mercedes starts is disappointing - not least for the man himself - it makes him one of only seven winning drivers on the grid. That's a rare commodity. When things are going well, he can execute a race superbly and grand prix history is littered with drivers who have achieved far less in top teams.

He would also bring to a team vast experience of the leading outfit in contemporary F1, or indeed of any era. That knowledge could be of immense value to a rival team, be it a frontrunner, an emerging squad with big ambitions, or a midfield stalwart keen to improve matters. This isn't about revealing silver-bullet secrets, but the perspective of a driver who has worked in an environment of such excellence can be vital for a team.

Bottas has not been broken by his experience alongside Hamilton and has proved that by coming back stronger this year after ending 2018 a somewhat dejected figure, which proves he's still got it in him

That makes Bottas one of the few drivers who should be of interest to everyone from Red Bull, which would be thrilled should newly promoted Alex Albon deliver Bottas-like performances alongside Max Verstappen, through to Haas, the smallest team on the grid. That said, Haas in its current state is perhaps the team that would be most put off Bottas by the fact he sometimes struggles in races - albeit a problem that will be further ameliorated by the more robust tyres planed for next year.

While Red Bull is unlikely to pursue Bottas, except perhaps in the event Albon's promotion fails to produce the desired outcomes and it decide it wants a stop-gap option (or a more experienced hand at Toro Rosso), a team such as Renault would benefit hugely from Bottas. Again, it's perhaps unlikely given old junior ladder rival Daniel Ricciardo and him aren't perhaps the ideal duo to pair, but it would give an emerging team insight into Mercedes on top of the Australian's Red Bull insight.

But for a team such as Haas, Bottas would be an outstanding signing. While it's in the running for Nico Hulkenberg, it would find Bottas's big-team experience and knowledge would be invaluable were it not to sign a new deal with out-of-contract Romain Grosjean.

Although Haas has struggled with getting tyres working, Bottas's problem is not so much with understanding as his difficulty in adapting his driving style in races to ensure life over a stint. That could make him an ideal troubleshooter, especially with his knowledge of what Mercedes has learned about the Pirellis.

Alfa Romeo, should it not continue with Antonio Giovinazzi alongside Kimi Raikkonen, could also benefit from a second experienced hand. This would be in the seat controlled by Ferrari, so it would depend on it wanting Bottas in the fold. But Alfa would get a driver capable of scoring heavy points and continue to help build up the team, while Ferrari might learn a thing or two about Mercedes.

Drivers in Bottas's situation often tend to have plenty to prove. While those who have won a world championship or two run the risk of losing that edge of motivation, those who haven't are often more determined than ever. Bottas has not been broken by his experience alongside Hamilton and has proved that by coming back stronger this year after ending 2018 a somewhat dejected figure, which proves he's still got it in him.

While it's possible getting the axe from Mercedes might have an impact on him because it would emphatically point his career trajectory downwards for the first time, it's most likely he'll redouble his efforts and want to prove himself all over again.

Bottas has proved this year that he is a resolute character. He kept Hamilton in sight in the world championship until his accident in the German Grand Prix and eighth place after early scrapes in Hungary, but realistically he's not now going to make up a 62-point deficit. He went into the race in Hungary having outqualified Hamilton and determined to be aggressive at the start but that ultimately led to his downfall, which perhaps highlights a relative weakness at the apex of F1.

While some would have been crushed by Hamilton, Bottas is still standing and proved this year he's capable of digging deep, improving and fighting back. Those are qualities that should appeal to any potential employer wanting to pick him up off the scrapheap.

Raikkonen is the perfect example of the value of a driver with top-team experience. While not the right driver for Ferrari and these days lacking that final edge of pace when up against one of F1's superstars, he has excelled for Alfa Romeo. The impact he has had on the team has been profound and his consistency has delivered a steady stream of points.

Bottas has plenty to offer and at 29 could easily have another decade ahead of him at the top level, hardly an old stager looking to cruise and collect for one last payday

All F1 teams are not equal and each has different objectives and varying levels of maturity, so like Raikkonen, Bottas could prove to be the wrong driver for Mercedes but the perfect driver for another operation. Rubens Barrichello couldn't match up to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, but went on to excel for Honda/Brawn and Williams after leaving.

Something often overlooked when paired with Hamilton is that Bottas does have extraordinary levels of underlying ability. He consistently stars on green tracks early in the weekend and tends to outperform Hamilton when the Mercedes has been at its worst, so there are conditions where he can outperform his illustrious team-mate.

We also have yet to see Bottas given the chance to make a team his own. While Mercedes is justifiably built around Hamilton and Bottas's performances have generally declined as the car has been developed in a way that suits the world champion, things could be different at another team.

Psychologically, it would also be important for him after the blows he's had in previous Mercedes seasons - notably being cast as number two in the second half of 2017 and having to give up victory in Russia last year despite being told before the race it wouldn't happen. At a team like Mercedes, with a top gun like Hamilton, it's logical to treat your second-best driver as wingman, so that isn't a criticism of what has happened there, merely the reality of the situation. Bottas would at least be free from that.

Bottas has plenty to offer and at 29 could easily have another decade ahead of him at the top level, hardly an old stager looking to cruise and collect for one last payday. Even if the worst happens and he gets the chop from Mercedes, Bottas will be at his peak, fully motivated and capable of doing an outstanding job for a future employer.

That's good news for his career prospects, not to mention a reminder of just how much Mercedes stands to lose by dropping him despite the weaknesses that have been laid bare by his partnership with Hamilton. That's one of the reasons, with decision-day fast approaching, Mercedes must think carefully despite the prodigious potential of Ocon.

After all, if only drivers who could live up to the standards of an all-time great were allowed, it would be a very sparse Formula 1 grid.