With Mercedes set to decide next year whether or not to keep Bottas or take George Russell as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, there has been speculation linking the Finn to other options.
A return to the Williams team that made his F1 debut is one possibility, while Alfa Romeo has put him high on their wish-list for 2022.
Also read:
However, Bottas is still hoping to keep his current seat and won’t open talks elsewhere until he knows what Mercedes is doing.
Given Mercedes ‘stance on taking the next step, Wolff, who has led Bottas’ career for a long time, said he will make sure the Finn is supported whenever the opportunity arises if he does not get a new contract.
“If we get into the situation that we wanted to try someone else, then it’s not just my relationship with him, but also the responsibility that he has a great future, because he deserves it,” said Wolff.
“He was a team-mate of the best Formula 1 driver of all time and it’s not always easy to shine. But he’s fantastic.”
Bottas’ troubles early in the season, coupled with the increasing challenge from Red Bull, mean Finn Hamilton is already playing a supportive role in trying to win the championship this year.
Wolff said it was never easy to sacrifice a driver’s own hopes, but Bottas accepted it because he could see the bigger picture.
“It’s very important because statistically, his chances of winning the championship are very slim compared to Lewis,” said Wolff.
“Lewis is very much into combat and we talked about that. And as tough as it is for a driver, there is no room for maneuver here in this year’s championship.”
Bottas came to Mercedes from Williams in early 2017 as a replacement for Nico Rosberg and has won nine Grand Prix during his time with the team.
The post Wolff feels “responsibility” to ensure Bottas a good future in F1 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
