Lewis Hamilton may have won Mercedes a number of world titles, but Valtteri Bottas played a crucial role in winning some of these titles for the Briton. His team play on multiple occasions helped the team maintain absolute dominance over the past 5 years.
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Given his essential role in the Brackley outfit, the entire Mercedes crew said goodbye emotionally when the Finn left the factory one last time.
The big farewell to Valtteri Bottas
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Bottas hopped onto the back of a classic convertible Mercedes street car that was slowly strolling down the street of the Mercedes headquarters in Brackley. There was cheering and clapping everywhere.
In addition to the ecstatic Mercedes crew and fans, fascinating light and fire shows took place around the HQ.
And when the driver parked the car at the exit of the Mercedes headquarters, Bottas turned around, waved goodbye one last time and went into the darkness.
One would have expected Bottas to sob a little, but the Finn was as bright as a shining star. And why shouldn’t it be? Bottas has an exciting new journey ahead of him with Alfa Romeo, one in which he can finally lead a team from the beginning.
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Can Bottas achieve fame with Alfa Romeo?
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Bottas will replace a world champion in Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo; hence big footsteps for the 10-time Grand Prix winner. To be fair, Alfa Romeo hasn’t done much since 2020, which puts the bar pretty low for Bottas.
Formula 1 F1 – Turkish Grand Prix – Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 10, 2021 Mercedes-Valtteri Bottas celebrates victory in the REUTERS / Umit Bektas race
The team urgently needs someone who has gained racing experience in a top team. Therefore, the Sauber-led team will certainly be happy to snatch Bottas from a team like Mercedes.
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Overall, Alfa Romeo may have another tough season ahead of them, especially given the fact that both drivers will be newbies. So will Bottas manage to score a few points in the 2022 season and thus keep the midfield from relapsing?
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