Valtteri Bottas criticizes the nature of his Mercedes F1 contracts

When a driver leaves a masterful team like Mercedes for a rather difficult midfield team like Alfa Romeo, there would usually be regrets and fear that they would no longer be able to dominate and win races. However, this was not the case with Valtteri Bottas.

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The Finn breathes a sigh of relief and waits for the end of 2021 so that he can get out of the Brackley outfit. And that feeling is indeed mutual, as Mercedes too awaits the arrival of a much younger and more challenging George Russell.

From today’s perspective, Bottas’s poor performance is certainly the reason why Mercedes decided to terminate its contract. But let’s dig deeper into the subject, shall we? Who would you blame Bottas for ‘bad run at Mercedes? Is it really that unrivaled?

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Well, Bottas himself blames Mercedes for its struggles over the past 5 years.

What did Valtteri Bottas say?

In a podcast, Bottas revealed that he never had peace and quiet at Mercedes races because the team barely secured its future and always held out the contract extension until the last minute. Therefore, Bottas admitted that he was under constant pressure.

Formula 1 F1 – Mexican Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 6th, 2021 Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes after qualifying in the pole position pool via REUTERS / Edgard Garrido

“If I had known in 2017 that I would have been with a team for five years, I think I would have taken a little more time to learn things step by step and also to be a little more forgiving with myself. But in my eyes I thought it was like a year-long opportunity, ”he said while on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“And the same next year. It was always 1 year, 1 year, 1 year. So I never had the peace of mind to give myself a little flexibility in my own criticism. “

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Bottas says he could have done better otherwise

Podcast host Tom Clarkson asked Bottas if he could have performed better if Mercedes had been frugal when signing contracts. “I absolutely know myself now and my feelings since I secured my future. But it’s a little late now, ”Bottas concluded.

Formula 1 F1 – Turkish Grand Prix – Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 10, 2021 Mercedes Valtteri Bottas celebrates with champagne on the podium after winning the REUTERS / Umit Bektas race

Overall, the good news is that Bottas is now free from the pressures that supposedly defied his true performance. So can the Finn bring his A game with Alfa Romeo into the coming season? Well we’ll know soon enough.

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