Bottas Expresses Regret Over Alfa Romeo Transition, Wishes He Had Chosen Differently
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Abu Dhabi, Dec 8 (NationPress) Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, who departed from Mercedes in 2022, has asserted that he regrets his move to Alfa Romeo (now Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber) and if given the chance, he would turn back time to change his choice.
Bottas joined forces with former boss Fred Vasseur at Alfa Romeo after leaving the Silver Arrows in 2022, signing a multi-year agreement with the Swiss team. The Finn contributed to the team achieving sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship during their first season together before Vasseur departed to become Ferrari's team principal.
“Absolutely not. If I could go back three years, I would have opted for a different path. Unfortunately, that’s how it is. This was a significant mistake, but it’s difficult to predict these things in advance. That first year with Vasseur was a positive experience. The team morale was strong, and the results were quite satisfactory.
“The last two seasons have been somewhat of a downward trend consistently. Naturally, that impacts my reputation as a driver. If you cannot deliver results, people tend to forget you,” Bottas remarked.
“This season has undoubtedly been quite daunting. When we established objectives with Vasseur in 2022 and devised our strategy, we had a clear roadmap. However, after his departure, all the objectives and plans were discarded. Since then, it has become significantly more challenging,” Bottas stated as reported by F1 Planet.
During his tenure with Mercedes, alongside Lewis Hamilton, Bottas played a crucial role in securing four constructors’ championships, achieving nine wins and 53 podium finishes.
Bottas, along with Zhou Guanyu, will be succeeded by Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg in the 2025 season, with the Abu Dhabi GP marking his final race with the team. Nonetheless, the 35-year-old disclosed that he is not finished with the sport. Reports indicate that Mercedes might be contemplating the Finnish racer for the reserve driver position.
“I have a feeling that I’m not finished with this sport,” he said. “I still have more to offer, so I’m going to keep an eye on this situation until the end. Next week we intend to finalize plans for the upcoming year. Let’s conclude this race with dignity, then shift our focus to what’s next,” Bottas added.
