Valtteri Bottas was 'disturbed' by rumours of 2016 Ferrari F1 move
Valtteri Bottas says speculation linking him with a move to Formula 1 rival Ferrari last summer was "disturbing" and affected his concentration and results
The Finn was touted as a potential successor to Kimi Raikkonen before Ferrari took up the option on his countryman for 2016.
Bottas later signed up for another season with Williams and finished fifth in the drivers' standings, one place worse off than the previous season.
"It was the most disturbing time of my career so far," Bottas told Autosport.
"I could really feel what media can do, they keep asking the same questions every race.
"Even on the street, normal people ask you about the same thing all the time, it's like 24/7 the same thing.
"It's not ideal, because when you go to a race weekend, the only thing you want to have in your mind is how do you get the perfect result.
"When there are rumours like this, it makes it more difficult. It didn't help, but that is F1.
"I think it all went well, for sure it didn't help with the results and concentration at all but I don't think it hurt that much."
Williams technical director Pat Symonds felt the speculation did impact on the Finn's performance.
"I wish that hadn't happened because I think it did affect him," he told Autosport.
"But Valtteri has come through it, he has absolutely bounced back."
Bottas believes the scenario was a good learning experience for the next time his future is the subject of speculation.
"It was a good experience for me," he said.
"I still hopefully have a long career ahead of me and there will most likely be lots of speculation to come, maybe in 2016.
"It has prepared me well how to deal with it. Now I've been in that situation, I think it's probably good for the long term."
Previous article
Mercedes expects Ferrari and Honda to close during 2016 F1 season
Next article
Analysis: Pressure on Ricciardo and Kvyat's Red Bull F1 team fight
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
