Why Alfa Romeo has picked Bottas to be its 2022 F1 "leader"

To no one’s great surprise Valtteri Bottas was formally confirmed as an Alfa Romeo Formula 1 driver on Monday, signalling the start of a new chapter in the Finn’s career.

His eventual departure from Mercedes to make way for George Russell has been on the cards for a couple of years, even before the Englishman’s stunning performances with Williams this season - capped with a maiden podium at Spa - put the matter beyond any reasonable doubt.

The question then was where Bottas might end up in 2022. As more and more teams along the pitlane confirmed long-term deals with existing drivers, the only real options became Williams and Alfa. In the end, the 32-year-old saw the latter as the better choice.

It’s a fresh start too for the Hinwil team after three years with Kimi Raikkonen, who announced his decision to retire at the end of the season before Zandvoort. As much as everyone in the camp loves the 2007 world champion, who began his career at Sauber in 2001, with his 42nd birthday approaching it was time for a reboot.

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"The process was that we all agreed that we have to discuss with Kimi first,” team principal Fred Vasseur tells Autosport. “And when we had the discussion with Kimi, and Kimi decided to stop, we started to think about the future. It was obvious that we have to do the next step.”

That step was to find another Raikkonen. Someone with speed and experience of top teams, and - not to beat around the bush - someone younger and with plenty of racing years ahead. Given the momentum that has been building around Russell, it was obvious to all that Bottas would probably be looking for a seat in 2022. For Vasseur, talking to the Finn was a no-brainer.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes and Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing in the Press Conference

Photo by: FIA Pool

They were colleagues at the ART Grand Prix team Vasseur co-founded for three years between 2009 and 2011 in Formula 3 and GP3, winning the latter title after cleaning up the Zandvoort F3 Masters in back-to-back seasons.

Vasseur worked with many drivers on the grid in the junior categories, including Lewis Hamilton, who he ran to the 2006 GP2 title. In the case of Bottas, their three-year collaboration gave the pair plenty of time to get to know each other.

“I think he's someone very dedicated, the speed is there, and we have a very good relationship," says Vasseur of Bottas. “I would say that with Valtteri we had a tough start of the season in 2011 in GP3 with technical issues on the first races. I think it was Turkey, and then in Barcelona.

"The challenge that we propose, the fact to become leader, the fact to have a mid-term vision – it's somehow a new project for him, and a real opportunity in terms of accomplishment" Fred Vasseur

“The championship was not gone, but it was not on the right direction. And we had very positive meetings together. We were all very, very open on what is going well and not.

“And Valtteri reacted mega well, and I remember that then he won something like four races in a row. And he won the championship at the end. The reaction was mega professional."

Vasseur concedes that it’s been a while since they worked closely, but has no question marks over his continued motivation.

“I left him 10 years ago!” he says.“Now we are still talking in the paddock, but it's one thing to talk in the paddock, it's another thing to work together. But I know Valtteri outside of the business, and I know that he's 200% dedicated to this.”

Bottas and Vasseur worked together in junior single-seaters, winning the 2011 GP3 title

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Then pair talked extensively in recent months. Bottas also had a potential opportunity to return to Williams, a team he knows well - having started his F1 career at the Grove outfit as a reserve in 2012 and spent four years racing for the squad - that under its new ownership and management clearly has momentum. The fact that he chose Alfa Romeo for the start of F1's new era says a lot.

“I think he was really convinced by our project,” says Vasseur. “2021 was not the easiest season, but he knows that we stopped completely the development of the car months ago. And he knows that [Alfa Romeo parent company] Stellantis renewed the contract for the next years. This is also a huge push for the project.

“Ferrari will do a step, we will develop the chassis - we stopped the current one at the end of '19. We are building a strong line-up for the future, so we are putting everything together, including the partnership with Stellantis. And honestly, I think for Valtteri, it's a good new chapter.

“I'm convinced that Valtteri can have the position of leader. I don't have a leader, but at least in terms of experience and so on, he will be the leader of the team. And I think for him, it will be an opportunity to become the leader, to show the direction. And I think he's also looking for something like this.”

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It’s not hard to imagine that Bottas is massively excited by the prospect of being the main focus in a smaller team. Of course, it has been great to be at Mercedes with a winning package at your disposal every weekend. But five years in the shadow of Hamilton – one of the greatest racing drivers in history – has not been easy.

“I don't know if he needs a change,” says Vasseur. “And I won't make any comment on their relationship, because it's not my business at all.

“But what is sure is that the challenge that we propose, the fact to become leader, the fact to have a mid-term vision – it's somehow a new project for him, and a real opportunity in terms of accomplishment.

Alfa move will allow Bottas to escape the shadow of Hamilton and build the team around himself

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

“He knew perfectly the situation when he joined Mercedes five years ago, the situation was crystal clear at this stage. And I think he was happy with this, and he did a great job. But perhaps it's another stage of his own career to not have Lewis alongside, you know what I mean? It's not negative with Lewis, or the team, what they did.

“It's just that we’ll give him the opportunity to show the direction in terms of development, process, and so on. And I think from his personal perspective, this could be a real great challenge. It's also a psychological sport, you have to be in good shape, mentally speaking. And it is not always easy to be alongside a super mega star. You can learn a lot, but the weight of the guy, sometimes it's tough."

So what does Bottas bring to the team? Sheer speed is perhaps the most important trait, given that he’s logged 17 pole positions with Mercedes and consistently pushed Hamilton hard.

“If you do the comparison between Lewis and Bottas, the gap is 0.2%," says Vasseur. "And if you ever look between Max [Verstappen] and his team-mates, it's three times more, four times, over the last few years.

"It doesn't matter if the team-mate is a rookie or an experienced guy, we will benefit of the experience and the speed of Valtteri" Fred Vasseur

“It's not just a matter of speed and performance. It's a matter of weight into the team. I think he's doing a very consistent job, and we need to have this kind of push. He will be able to bring to the team a huge experience accumulated with Mercedes over the last five years. At least for us, it's another step in the process to come back. And I hope that it will be a decisive step."

With Bottas secure the team can now turn its attention to the other seat. Crucially, Vasseur is no longer contractually obliged to take a Ferrari youngster. Incumbent Antonio Giovinazzi will thus have to earn the seat on merit, and his strong qualifying performance at Zandvoort last weekend was timely, although a puncture ruined his race.

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However the Italian is up against stiff competition, with Alex Albon and Nyck de Vries among the prime contenders. Despite previously playing down the prospect of taking a rookie Vasseur hints that he’s also eyeing F2 drivers, whose championship still has four of its eight weekends to run.

Giovinazzi gave his hopes of staying on a timely boost with strong qualifying effort at Zandvoort

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

He obviously has a special interest in ART teenager Theo Pourchaire, although he has suggested in the past that 2022 would be too early a graduation for the Frenchman. There are also Ferrari youngsters who, with a little commercial push, could yet be in the frame. Another prospect is Alpine protege Guanyu Zhou, who is known to have some backing.

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“Everything is open, including Antonio,” Vasseur insists. “Antonio is doing a good job. But I think that to be able to recruit and to welcome Valtteri is a huge opportunity for us.

“Then it doesn't matter if the team-mate is a rookie or an experienced guy, we will benefit of the experience and the speed of Valtteri.

“I won't make any comment on who is on the list and who is not. On some of them it looks a bit difficult due to the link they have with engine suppliers. We have a contract with Ferrari, and it looks difficult to do these kinds of deals, or impossible. And let's see about the others.

“The choice is important. We have some young kids that need to do more races. And we won't be able to have a clear picture before. I think that with Antonio, let's see over the next two or three events.

“But perhaps he has turned the page of the past, and this situation could be a good wake-up call also. I want to have a clear picture before I take any decisions with my shareholders. Let's close this one, and then we will think about the other one.”

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images