How Lewis Hamilton’s ex-teammate fell from grace in F1
Lewis Hamilton's former teammate Valtteri Bottas has been pushed out of the grid for 2025 after a couple of underwhelming seasons.
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Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton (images via IMAGO)
Lewis Hamilton is an all-time F1 great. It is no surprise that drivers struggle to match the seven-time world champion even in equal machinery. Hamilton’s former teammate Valtteri Bottas had played the ideal role of a second driver. Though, three seasons since leaving Mercedes, the Finn has lost his relevance on the grid.
Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017 after Nico Rosberg‘s shock retirement. The Finnish driver was managed by Toto Wolff, which allowed him to partner Hamilton at Brackley. Over the course of the next five seasons, the Silver Arrows enjoyed incredible success with Valtteri Bottas‘ vital contributions.
Though, the 35-year-old had his own share of inconsistencies. Questions were raised over his place at the team as a young George Russell knocked on the door. Ultimately, Valtteri Bottas parted ways with Mercedes in 2022 to join Sauber. Things only went from bad to worse for him since.
Valtteri Bottas became irrelevant in F1
In 2022, Bottas showed that he still had what it takes to be a formidable driver on the grid. He finished tenth in the standings with 49 points after annihilating teammate Zhou Guanyu. However, Sauber went into a decline the following season.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu struggled to make a mark in 2023 with an underwhelming car. The Finn could only manage P15 in the championship with 10 points. Sauber which previously seemed willing to retain Bottas after Audi‘s takeover soon started to have second thoughts.
This season, the 35-year-old failed to score a single point and finished outside the top 20 entirely. This was the first time he had been outperformed by Guanyu in a season. Over the course of 2024, Audi decided to sack Bottas for 2025. The German carmaker signed Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren prodigy Gabriel Bortoleto. Zhou Guanyu was also let go.
Valtteri Bottas failed to land a seat anywhere on the grid. Even teams like Haas or Alpine decided to bet on rookies instead of the experienced Finn, showing that he had faded away from the eyes of the grid. Now, Bottas has returned to Mercedes albeit in a reserve role. This might allow the 35-year-old to stay within the grid’s radar for 2026. However, it feels like time has finally run out for the 10-time race winner.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2271 Articles Published)