Why Bottas is excited by life in F1 after Mercedes

Surely it had to be the first question to Valtteri Bottas, were you to meet him during one of his early visits to his new team’s base in Hinwil, Switzerland.

“How do you like coffee here, Valtteri?” we ask.

“There is still work to do,” Alfa Romeo’s new Finn laughs in response. “There’s nothing wrong with the coffee, but it can always be better. But I’m on it,” he says, adding confidently: “I’m gonna sort it.”

After all, that’s what he’s here for: to share his experience and help his new team to improve in every area.

We are in one of the two Sauber buildings on Wildbachstrasse, in an immense workshop with a windtunnel stretched out at second-floor level. Bottas is no longer a stranger in Hinwil. He came here right after his first test behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo mule car at the end of last year in Abu Dhabi. Then he did so again in January, for some simulator sessions and meetings with engineers.

Now it’s time for his first – and exclusive for GP Racing – photoshoot in a brand new shirt with an Alfa Romeo logo on it, and his first interview as an official Alfa Romeo driver.

After a quick chat about Bottas's favourite (at least non-alcoholic) drink, we relocate to a truck-sized aquarium called InfoLab, next to the windtunnel entrance. It is mostly used for exhibitions, but currently features only a 50% model of a Sauber C22 from 2003 mounted on one of the walls. InfoLab’s long benches are perfect for a pleasant, casual – and of course socially distanced – conversation, which begins with the topic of his history with team boss Frederic Vasseur.

Valtteri Bottas is adapting to life quickly at Alfa Romeo

Photo by: Motorsport Images

“It was probably 2008 when I did my first test with them,” recalls Bottas of Vasseur’s ART junior single-seater team, with which he would spend a couple of years in F3 Euroseries and a title-winning 2011 campaign in GP3.

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

“I would say the highlight in F3 was probably winning the Zandvoort Masters two times,” he continues. “Then GP3 was a really good year. I remember by the halfway of the season I was not even in the top 10 in the drivers’ championship, and as a team we were struggling a bit. So we worked really hard together, we turned around completely the setup philosophy of the car, and after that we were winning pretty much every race.

“That was a great memory, winning the title. Because that pretty much sealed for me the opportunity to become the official test and reserve driver for Williams. So it was really a key year in my career.

"I learned a lot from Lewis, how consistent he can be on his form, especially his racecraft, it’s really impressive. So at least in the near future I doubt he will be beaten with the same machinery" Valtteri Bottas

“The thing with Fred is that when he is committed to some kind of project, always by the end, sooner or later, it has become a successful story. He definitely likes to keep in the loop with everything. Like every day I’ve had at the factory here he always wants feedback from me, [to know] what I think. He’s demanding, which you need as a boss. But he is also really fair to people. And he is just a good guy. So Fred was actually a big reason why I joined this team.”

It was Vasseur himself who initiated talks early last year, as Alfa Romeo sought a fast and experienced driver to replace Kimi Raikkonen. For Vasseur, Bottas ticked every box ahead of what some call the biggest regulation change in Formula 1 history.

“The first discussion we had [was] at the beginning of the season, when I understood that it would be difficult for him [to keep his seat] at Mercedes,” Vasseur told GP Racing at the end of last year. “I think Valtteri will bring his mega huge reference. If you have a look at the gap between Lewis [Hamilton] and Valtteri in qualifying, in terms of speed he is one of the best references of the paddock. And this is important for us. He will bring also the experience he has of F1, of the Mercedes team and so on. And I think it’s a good step forward.”

But Bottas needed some convincing.

Team boss Fred Vasseur was a key factor in Valtteri Bottas making the move to Alfa Romeo

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

“For sure, I had the information on when the team started to focus for the new rules”, he says. “And I think it is not a secret that the team didn’t really develop last year’s car much at all. And the focus was always for this new era of the rules. So for sure, that was quite a big factor for me making the decision, and yeah, I really hope that it’s going to help us then in the coming year.”

PLUS: Why 2022 progress is crucial after Alfa's year of F1 turmoil

Clearly, that alone won’t have been enough. After all, Vasseur was trying to sign a driver from Mercedes, the leading team of the current Formula 1 era. But he had something to offer that Bottas never got at Mercedes – a long-term contract.

“I was sure that I wouldn’t commit to anything, if it was just a one-year deal,” he says. “Because I take this as a project, and there’s definitely work to do. That is a fact. And you can’t do all that in one year, it means multiple years [are needed].

“And also for me to have that stability, knowing that all the efforts that I put in now, you know, it’s still gonna benefit all of us in the coming years. That’s why I wanted the continuity. And also, the point of where I am in my career, I feel like it’s about time to get [a] more long-term project [rather] than one-by-one.”

It was a condition he’d set not just for Vasseur – but also Toto Wolff, as the Mercedes boss was making his final decision on his 2022 line-up.

“I made it clear that one-year is a no-go anymore for me,” claims Bottas.

When asked about the timing of that conversation with Wolff, he adds calmly: “Not very early. I would say more like middle of the season or before the summer break. But I think he knew also that for me, yeah, after being five years always [having] one[-year deals] and then every spring, summer it’s always the same speculation… It’s yeah, for me, that was kind of, you know, enough of it.”

Valtteri Bottas was adamant he wanted a longer term contract when joining Alfa Romeo

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Was it a way for Bottas to end the Mercedes part of his career on his own terms? Probably. After all, Wolff was faced with the possibility of losing George Russell ‘on a free’, which would’ve been hard to stomach after the Brit’s convincing performance at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. Bottas simply made Wolff's choice a bit easier.

And it might not have been too difficult to accept for Bottas, either. Perhaps he’d come to terms with the fact that he achieved all he could at Mercedes? He took poles, he won races. But the main question is: does he still believe Lewis Hamilton could be beaten over a full season in the same car?

“I doubt. I doubt that,” Bottas concedes, taking very little time to think. “Of course, you know, it’s always possible... but, yeah. Of course, when I joined Mercedes, I was like committed that I’m gonna beat Lewis. Five years after that still didn’t happen. So…

"I still really enjoy it. And I still have the passion for it. And I feel like I still have more to give for F1" Valtteri Bottas

“That is [still] nice to know that when I’m at my best I can beat anyone. So for sure, that’s a good confidence boost. But I also accept the fact that Lewis’ consistency and ability to adjust for certain elements, yeah, it’s... it’s another level, really. I learned a lot from Lewis, how consistent he can be on his form, especially his racecraft, it’s really impressive. So at least in the near future I doubt he will be beaten with the same machinery.”

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So, no regrets then?

“I think now that I’ve had a bit of time to reflect,” Bottas continues, “I tend to remember all the good things and I remember less the negative things. And there’s so many positive things that I can take from those five years. All the achievements and, you know, losing the count of how many podiums I had, it’s pretty cool!

“I’ve learned so much with them [Mercedes]. I’ve definitely become a much better driver and also a stronger human being with the team and, you know, my technical knowledge, everything has developed a lot. And I take it as a strength. And it will help me in the future, also trying to help this team to get higher.”

Now it’s time to work hard on this new project, but also enjoy himself – which wasn’t always possible before, when his performances were always compared with Hamilton’s and his seat was so often speculated about.

Valtteri Bottas credits Mercedes and team-mate Lewis Hamilton, for helping him improve which he hopes to use at Alfa Romeo

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“For sure I learned a lot about myself,” Bottas adds, “like, what works for me as a driver and what not. I’ve also learned how much the pressure can actually subconsciously disturb you. And you only realise it once you’re released out of the pressure how much better you feel and how much more enjoyable things become.

“It’s easy to say ‘don’t stress’, but actually how to be comfortable in a situation it’s a different story. I think now in my career, I’ve come to a phase that I really don’t care what people say and what they think. And I’m just living for myself and for my enjoyment and for my goals.”

And as much as Bottas represents a perfect driver for the team, Alfa Romeo was always his first choice – apart from the surely implausible scenario of a new multi-year contract with Mercedes. Unlike after the 2018 season, when he seriously considered quitting F1, this time that wasn’t an option at all.

“I did think about every opportunity,” he says, “but never seriously thought about not staying in F1. Because I still really enjoy it. And I still have the passion for it. And I feel like I still have more to give for F1.

“Fred being here, then just learning about all the facts, what is the plan for the future and how to get to the top, and also the early switch to the new regulation, development and all those combined, it felt good. And actually, it was also nice to jump into a car without Mercedes power.

“Obviously, possibly, you know, there would have been a chance to stay with Williams, but then, in a way, I would have been still linked to Mercedes. But I felt like I just wanted a complete fresh new start.”

This all sounds good, but cynics might say that the real reason Bottas is here is to make his bank account look even nicer before his retirement.

Bottas set the fifth-fastest time during the Bahrain F1 pre-season test and believes points are a realistic target

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

“They’re wrong, because I’m in Formula 1 because I enjoy it,” he smiles. “And, of course, because I also have an opportunity for it, which is not guaranteed in the world of motorsport. And I feel like I still have a lot to give, like I said, to F1, but at the moment I have lot to give to Alfa Romeo, trying to bring the team to the top.

“It’s a different kind of motivation. Yeah, the fact is probably we’re not gonna fight every race for wins this season. But it’s a different kind of excitement because there are so many unknowns, and it almost feels like the only way is up. And I feel like by working hard together as a team, whatever we’re going to achieve, it’s going to be really rewarding. I’m really excited. And people can say whatever they want.”

"We shouldn’t, as a team, put any upper limit of what we can or can’t achieve. Initially, [the] important thing is to try and get consistently into the points. I think that is realistic, and that is possible" Valtteri Bottas

This “new fresh start” with Alfa Romeo includes, for the first time in his F1 career, Valtteri Bottas becoming the undisputed leader and number one driver in a team.

“It’s exciting and so far I’m really enjoying it,” he says of this new role, “like all the effort I’ve been putting in the simulator here at the factory. And I really feel that people react and listen. And I’m definitely ready for it. Because it’s my 10th season in Formula 1. So it’s a good feeling. And I’m ready to do my part for the success for us together and guide the team and help the team the best I can.

“We shouldn’t, as a team, put any upper limit of what we can or can’t achieve. Initially, [the] important thing is to try and get consistently into the points. I think that is realistic, and that is possible. So that’s the first step. But eventually, definitely I want to be up on the podium with the Alfa Romeo logo on the race suit.”

That’s a big target. And it’s not going to be easy to achieve – it’s not just the coffee that will need to be refined and perfected. But he’s on it.

Can Bottas elevate Alfa Romeo to new heights?

Photo by: Antonin Vincent