As with style, Valtteri Bottas also goes against the grain on the Sprint format, which he greatly appreciates. Bottas has always been as we see him today, only that he is no longer afraid to show himself for who he really is. Here’s what he told us about his transformation, today’s F1 and his future in our exclusive interview
June 4, 2024
“I remain Finnish at heart, but there is actually a bit of Australian influence in me”: Valtteri Bottas he bursts into genuine laughter when, in the Sauber hospitality area during the Formula 1 weekend in Monte Carlo, we ask him which country he feels he really belongs to. After all there is so little of Scandinavian coolness in the pilot we are faced withwith the mullet and the blond mustache, and a lot of the light-hearted spirit that reigns down under.
ORnow a social media star and advertisements with a verve and naturalness that were impossible to imagine a few years ago, Bottas is a changed man. But what accounts for the transformation from a shy and determined boy to an amused crowd-puller? “Getting older is a good thing, from a certain point of view – he reflects – As you age you learn not to take things seriously, which instead happens when you are younger. You also get to know yourself better, feel more at ease with yourself.”
“I’m still the same guy, but I’m more comfortable showing myself for who I really am. A few years ago I was more closed off.” In short, Bottas has always been like this, he just didn’t show it. But where does the drive to reveal to the world who he really is come from? “It’s a combination of many things. Experience and age certainly do a lot, but also the environment I find myself in, my partner. Many things have changed over the years, and the combination of these aspects means that I am mentally calm and have found a good balance between F1 and my private life.”
NoIt wasn’t easy to find this balance, especially at the time when weight was a major concern for riders. Bottas, robustly built, had come to experience serious difficulties, which he makes no secret of. “The management of my diet and training got out of hand at a certain point – he explains, candidly admitting the eating disorders he suffered from in the past -. Seeing an increasingly smaller number on the scale had become almost an obsession”.
Not everyone has the courage to admit that they have suffered from eating disorders, and it is perhaps even more complex for a man and especially for an athlete. But Bottas did it to send a message. “I think it’s important to talk about these problems, because many people tend not to express them. You can always learn from the mistakes of others; this is why I decided to tell the lesson I learned from my mistakes. I understood what my limits are. I think anyone who is going through a difficult time, whether they are an athlete or not, should seek help. Health is the most important thing, or at least it should be.”
FWith his newfound balance, Bottas is facing a complex season, with Sauber forced to the rear. “I am satisfied with my performance this year, especially in qualifying – he specifies -. But we are experiencing a difficult situation, finding ourselves outside the top ten in all the races. We haven’t gotten any points yet. I wouldn’t call it frustrating, more annoying. We just want to take some points, it would be an injection of confidence for the whole team. We didn’t start in the best way, but we still have many races to make up for.”
The old man thought to complicate the situation problem in pit stops which caused very long stops at the start of the championship. “In the first races it distorted the perception of what our true value was. Finally from Imola we resolved the problem, but to find a solution we concentrated the efforts that would otherwise have been made to improve the performance of the single-seater. I hope that from now on we can focus on performance,” observes Bottas.
Sand Sauber is navigating troubled waters, the relationship with is instead smooth Guanyu Zhou. “For me it is essential to have an honest relationship with my teammate. Being direct and honest is the only way to work effectively and create a good atmosphere. If the games start, the environment gets worse. I get along well with Zhou, he is a good guy, very honest and with a good sense of humor. He also has a nice style – he says smiling – and he gets faster with each passing year”.
And a lot of water has passed under the bridge since Valtteri’s Formula 1 debut in 2013. It’s not just Bottas who has changed a lot, but also F1 itself. He says he is happy with this metamorphosis. “There are more races, and consequently the commitment is greater for the drivers and teams. Formula 1 is experiencing a moment of great growth, with the increase in spectators and a great atmosphere on the circuit. There’s more show than when I started, but this one is attracting new fans. Every new type of audience is good for our sport.”
Bottas is also a fan of the Sprint format, “with more action and less free practice. I wish every weekend was like this. The normal Friday, with only free practice, lacks bite, while with the Sprint on Friday afternoon we already have qualifying. And there are greater chances of scoring points. It is funny”. However, the system for assigning penalty points does not need to be changed: “it’s fine as it is. I know there are some riders who are very on the limit, but it depends on the way they race. There is a reason this system was introduced, after all.”
The increasingly busy F1 schedule hasn’t stopped Bottas from cultivating what has over time become much more than a hobby. Valtteri, in fact, has qualified for the gravel cycling world championships scheduled for October. “Cycling has become an increasingly important part of my life in recent years. Obviously it all starts at home, with my partner. She trains constantly, it’s a fundamental part of her everyday life. I’m a huge fan of the sport, and last year I set myself the goal of qualifying for the world championships to prove to myself that I could do it. It was very emotional for me, I was almost moved”.
TO October will be a world cycling challenge, but what does the future hold for F1? “I’ll be released at the end of the year, so I’m talking to several teams. Some negotiations are starting to progress positively, but I still have to wait for some things to fall into place. I have clear priorities about where I would like to find myself, and if that were the case I would be very happy.”
Would Valtteri, 35 in August, race in F1 at 40 like Fernando Alonso? “Never say never. At the moment it still seems like a very distant horizon, but I know how quickly the years pass. It’s amazing how time speeds up, especially with so many races.” The seasons pass quickly, but Bottas seems to want to savor every aspect of his life with the serenity of someone who has learned to live more lightlybut no less intensely.
