Valtteri Bottas raced at Mercedes for half a decade and learned a lot with Lewis Hamilton leading the Silver Arrows. So, when Bottas joined Sauber (formerly Alfa Romeo) in 2022, he got the chance to implement all his learning as the team leader. And given he had a rookie teammate in Zhou Guanyu, it further added to Bottas’ responsibilities as the more experienced driver between the two.
Speaking to Marc Priestley on the Pitlane Life Lessons podcast, Bottas said, “I was the old guy, I was the more experienced guy and there was much more weight put on my shoulders about not only performance but really trying to push the team forward and keep people motivated”.
A disappointing afternoon in Budapest after a hopeful qualifying.
A lot of hard work lies ahead for the entire team leading up to Belgium next week and in the second half of the season! #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/hjIqAQfooq
— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) July 21, 2024
Still, the Finnish driver felt his role was “super interesting” as he had to draw on his decade full of F1 experience to push Sauber ahead. Bottas also stated that it was quite natural for him to take up the leader’s role.
And his team dynamic with Zhou has also flourished well over the two and a half seasons so far. The Sauber duo have not really had any clashes, primarily due to the Swiss team’s lack of competitiveness.
Thus, overall Bottas has had a great time at Sauber alongside Zhou and also has not had the pressure to deliver, as he experienced at Mercedes. While the Finn had a race-winning car under him at Brackley, he got the chance to enjoy his driving only at the Hinwil-based outfit.
Bottas had recalibrated his life in F1
Bottas shed light on how he almost quit his F1 career back in 2018-19 when he was at Mercedes. Back then, Hamilton was in the midst of a purple patch of form and won consecutive championships, while the Finn had to yield to his more talented teammate despite having championship ambitions of his own.
Eventually, by 2021, Bottas’ mental state was teetering as his form dipped drastically amid the pressure of an intense championship battle with Red Bull. However, when he got the clear communication that the Silver Arrows intended to replace him, the #77 driver got some hope to find his peace elsewhere.
The Sauber offer being a multi-year deal was quite assuring for Bottas in his 30s, and a lot more secure than the one-year extensions he was receiving at Mercedes. While that same deal is now nearing its end, the Finn is hopeful that Audi, who will take over the Swiss team in 2026, trusts in his experience to retain him.
