Valtteri Bottas is almost at the climax of his Formula 1 career. With a few more years to go, the Finnish driver might be seen cycling in different parts of the world after he hangs his overalls, or indulged himself deeply into the wine venture that he took up recently. What will his future be then after he retires? Bottas himself, reveals it all.
During a recent conversation with Global Cycling Network, Bottas opened up on his future post F1. Revealing the ventures he invested in, the Sauber driver said, “There’s a coffee roaster in Finland. My most recent thing is my own blend of wine actually from McLaren Vale [Australia]. Then yeah, I’m part owner of Ice Hockey team in Finland.”
Following this, he added, “Quite a few investments here and there and keeps me busy and again eventually when my professional driving career ends for sure I’ve got plenty of things to do, kind of play with.”
Bottas earns around $10 million a year from his contract at Sauber. His racing career earned him a net worth of $30 million so far which helped him hugely while making the investments.
While many of us aren’t aware, Bottas did his part by saving a local hockey club with his all-important investment. He stepped up to try and secure the future of Lahti Pelicans which competes in Liiga, the top ice hockey division in Finland. He purchased a 10% stake in the club and joined the team as a co-owner.
All these investments might be fruitful for the former Mercedes driver as his F1 future might be in the shadows in the future. The change in driver dynamics, the silly season following Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes departure, and Audi’s arrival post-new regulations in 2026 might change the sport for Bottas, certainly not for good.
How is Valtteri Bottas’ future in F1 uncertain?
Valtteri Bottas will see his contract with Sauber expire at the end of this season. He moved from Mercedes to come to the Swiss team on a one-year deal, with another year as optional. He stayed back at the team by activating the clause. However, Sauber is still to renew his contract for the next season.
On the other hand, Audi is all set to take over Sauber and rebrand it to the former brand’s name. Therefore, there are high chances that the German manufacturer would not want to invest in a veteran driver like Bottas. With Carlos Sainz out of Ferrari next year, Audi might just rope him in.
Nailed it. Thanks, VB. pic.twitter.com/hbvrOmAekT
— Stake F1 Team (@stakef1team) February 5, 2024
Zhou Guanyu, the other driver in the team may stay due to the massive support he gets from Chinese sponsorships. Although, for his case, Sauber’s prodigy Theo Pourchaire could make a case, to replace Zhou. So both drivers at the Swiss team are on uncertain grounds. On the other hand, Audi might just stick to the proven winner Bottas.
Valtteri Bottas has a decade-long experience in Formula 1. He raced for teams like Williams, Mercedes, and Sauber and is a 10-time Grand Prix winner. Therefore, Audi might stick around with the Finnish driver for years to come banking on his experience and race-winning mentality. For this, however, Bottas needs to make sure he delivers this season to prove his worth to Sauber and Audi, respectively.
