Valtteri Bottas Shares the “Hardest Lesson” He Learned in His 11-Year-Long F1 Career

Competing in F1 – often regarded as the pinnacle of motorsports – takes both a physical and mental toll on drivers, but the latter is often overlooked. But, it is just as important, something Valtteri Bottas talks about in a recent interview.

Appearing on a YouTube channel named The Icons of Motiversity, Bottas revealed that 11 years in F1 taught him not to be too hard on himself. He recalled how he was very self-critical, especially during the early stages of his career, which “drags you down.” 

“For me, the hardest lesson probably has been not to beat up myself too much,” he said. “I think that’s something I learned over the years, over the ups and downs, that find that happy medium and also dealing with mistakes and setbacks.”

Deep Dive with VB @ValtteriBottas talks sticking to routines, maintaining high performance, and keeping motivated to achieve your goals

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The Finn suggested that making and learning from mistakes are normal and that at times, even the best do it. In his case, holding on to them was what led to continued disappointment. This is a mistake he insisted others should not make. He also stated that the self-doubt builds up and shows on the track. And it is a loop that drivers do not want to get stuck in.

Bottas, unfortunately, learned this lesson much later in his career. He struggled with this during his first two years at Mercedes, and it got so bad that he even considered retirement at one point.

How Lewis Hamilton made Bottas contemplate quitting F1

After Nico Rosberg left Mercedes ahead of the 2017 season, the Brackley-based team brought Bottas in. At the time, Mercedes was the fastest team and was dominating the sport, which is why Bottas set high expectations for himself. However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton’s prowess and consistency behind the wheel were too much for him to handle.

Bottas went down a rabbit hole. He had a strict diet and workout regiment, just to gain a tenth of a second over Hamilton. But nothing was helping, which severely affected his mental health.

It pushed Bottas to the edge, and he contemplated retirement. Thankfully, for him, he did not go through with it.

After the 2019 winter break, the Finnish driver came back with a fresh outlook. He succumbed to the pressure but kept his head out of the water, which slowly taught him how to swim in the deep F1 waters.