We have been asking ourselves this question for months: Where will Valtteri Bottas be driving in 2022? The Finn is hoping Mercedes will sign him again for a sixth season – but if they choose to promote their junior George Russell from Williams, where is Bottas? Lawrence Barretto evaluates the main options …
Option 1: Mercedes
Bottas wants to be here in 2022. Since Nico Rosberg left at the end of 2016, the Finn has been an integral part of the Silver Arrows, which continued their dominance in the Constructors’ Championship – a run that began in 2014 – and he knows his departure will likely end his hopes of winning Formula 1 Signal world championship.
He knows he didn’t have the best season and realistically (if not mathematically) dropped out of the fight for the title early. A resurgence of the France-Austria-Styria triple headers gave him hope, but he will be aware that Russell is in Williams with two Q3 appearances, Q2 in 10 of 11 races and finally his first points for the team in Hungary.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Botta’s catastrophic mistake in Budapest will not affect the team’s driver decision in 2022. Bottas and his management have not yet sat down with Mercedes – talks are planned for the coming weeks before Spa.
Bottas will argue that he has had a track record since joining Mercedes in 2017 and gets on well with teammate Lewis Hamilton to create a harmonious atmosphere. Mercedes must decide if that’s enough to keep Russell waiting another year or if it’s time to nurture her huge talent in planning for the next cycle.
Should Mercedes decide to say goodbye to Bottas, Wolff says he has a “responsibility” that Bottas has a “great future”.
Bottas and Hamilton have proven to be an impressive team – but will that be enough to keep the Finn at Mercedes?
Option 2: Williams
When his Mercedes journey comes to an end, Bottas will be open to one more ride in the field, so a return to Williams makes a lot of sense for both sides.
The British team at least made his F1 debut for the Finn, so it has come full circle for his career. It’s a team that is on the move with new direction and investment, giving them the chance to prove that they can lead a team.
Williams is keen on him when Russell leaves. Not only would his experience be invaluable, there are many on the team who worked with Bottas in his first stint and who value him highly. Attracting someone of his caliber would be a sensation in team morale and a great shot in the arm for rebuilding.
I understand discussions have taken place, but they won’t accelerate until Mercedes, out of respect for the British driver, has decided whether or not they want Russell.
Should Bottas return, it could be a marriage that works for both sides, like Felipe Massa joined them from Ferrari in 2014.
Bottas played for Williams with the team for four seasons
Option 3: Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has emerged as an option for Bottas next year.
Team boss Fred Vasseur knows Bottas’ current boss Wolff very well and assesses Finn. As a proven race winner, Bottas would be a very useful addition as the team is trying to make the most of the 2022 regulatory change.
Alfa Romeo’s renewed engagement as title sponsor and donor bodes well for the future of this team in the short term, which can give the 31-year-old hope that he has the resources to move forward.
However, this change would be relatively unknown to Bottas – and possibly riskier than Williams – as the team would be brand new to him and we’ve seen some drivers – like Daniel Ricciardo – struggle to make the adjustment when moving to a whole new environment.
Would Bottas (left) feel like moving to Alfa Romeo if his compatriot Kimi Raikkonen leaves the team?
Option 4: switch to rallying
This would be the least likely option. At the moment Bottas is doing nothing more than a drive in Formula 1 – but when Mercedes lets him go and Bottas decides that Williams or Alfa Romeo don’t fit, a switch to rallying is something he has always said.
He won an event at Paul Ricard in 2019 and secured his third top 10 result in a row at the Arctic Lapland Rally earlier this year. Of course, it would be a challenge to be able to keep up at the highest level. But considering that he was competitive if he only attempted rallies on an ad hoc basis, that bodes well.
Should he take this route, given his ancestry, there will probably be no shortage of routes and opportunities in the rally world for the Finn.
Bottas showed real speed behind the wheel of a rally car
Option 5: sabbatical
A sabbatical is possible because it is clear that Hamilton’s team-mate can be mentally demanding – Nico Rosberg is the proof – but I don’t get the impression that Bottas is ready to end his involvement in motorsport, not even temporarily.
He’s still hungry – and he’s still a very good racing driver. His bad luck is that when his teammate caught the best car, he was the greatest of all time.
You don’t forget nine wins, 17 poles and 62 podiums, even if you have the best car. So taking a year off to catch your breath before pursuing a career in rallying or perhaps another motorsport is entirely possible.
But once he leaves Formula 1 it is unlikely that he will ever be back in racing as we’ve seen how difficult it is to find a way back after just one campaign.
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