Bottas's interest inmotorsport was sparked at the age of six by a chance visit to akarting event that he had seen advertised at his local supermarket while shopping with his grandfather.[8] His racing hero while growing up was compatriotMika Häkkinen.[9]
Bottas finished eighth in the 2005 Karting World Cup for the P.D.B. Racing Team, using aGillard chassis and Parilla engines.
Bottas would have also won the 2007Formula Renault UK Winter Series, had he been holding anMSA-registered licence for the championship. This did not stop him from competing, and he won three out of the four races in the championship.
He moved up into theFormula Three Euroseries for the2009 season, competing for reigning championsART Grand Prix. Despite not winning a race, Bottas set two pole positions on his way to third in the championship, edging out futureBMW iAndretti Motorsport driverAlexander Sims at the final race. In June 2009, Bottas won the2009Masters of Formula 3, also claiming the pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race. By winning the event again in2010, he became the first driver to win the F3 Masters title for the second time.[10]
In 2011, he contested theGP3 Series, remaining with F3 squad ART.[11] After a tough start to the season, he claimed a win in each of the last four race weekends and secured the title by winning the penultimate race ahead of his teammate and futureJaguar Racing driverJames Calado.[12]
Bottas was signed as the officialFormula One test driver for theWilliams team in January 2010 after his first year in theFormula 3 Euro Series. Team principalFrank Williams praised Bottas's record in the junior categories and expressed his hope that the role would "provide him with another step in his development".[13] He conducted straight-line aerodynamic testing in the team'sFW32 during the year.[14] He continued in the role for 2011 and took part in his first full test in November, driving theFW33 in the post-season young drivers' test atYas Marina Circuit.[15] His role was expanded in 2012 after his GP3 Series victory; he took part in fifteen Friday practice sessions, making his Grand Prix weekend debut at theMalaysian Grand Prix.
In November 2012 it was announced that Bottas would replaceBruno Senna and partnerPastor Maldonado as a full-time Williams race driver for the2013 season.[16] He qualified 16th, ahead of Maldonado, and finished 14th at his debut race, theAustralian Grand Prix. He improved from 18th on the grid to 11th at the finish at theMalaysian Grand Prix, 1.5 seconds behind a points-paying position.[17] He qualified third at theCanadian Grand Prix behindSebastian Vettel andLewis Hamilton, the first time a Williams car had qualified in the top ten that year.[18] He was unable to hold the position in the race and dropped to 14th at the finish line. He later stated that "the car pace was just not there" and that he believed the result would have been the same regardless of the team's strategy.[19] A hydraulics failure at theHungarian Grand Prix caused his first retirement of the season whilst Maldonado finished tenth to claim the team's first point of 2013. Bottas qualified ninth and finished eighth at theUnited States Grand Prix, his first Formula One points and the team's best result of the season.[20] He collided with Hamilton whilst unlapping himself at the season-endingBrazilian Grand Prix, later stating he was unaware Hamilton was a lap ahead.[21]
Bottas ended his debut season 17th in the World Drivers' Championship, scoring four of Williams's five points.[22] He qualified ahead of Maldonado at twelve of the nineteen races and was praised for his performances at the Canadian and United States Grands Prix.[23][24]
Bottas was retained by Williams for the2014 season, partneringFelipe Massa who was signed fromFerrari.[25] At the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix, Bottas started fifteenth due to a gearbox change penalty[26] and clipped the wall causing a tyre puncture in the race, but recovered to sixth at the finish and was later promoted to fifth afterDaniel Ricciardo's disqualification.[27] He received another grid penalty and started 18th at the next race, theMalaysian Grand Prix, for impeding Ricciardo in qualifying, but gained places to finish eighth. He matched his best grid position at theBahrain Grand Prix, starting third, but dropped to eighth at the finish. He praised the team's updates to hisFW36 after finishing fifth at theSpanish Grand Prix and felt that the team now had the third-fastest car,[28] however this was followed by 13th place in qualifying and an engine failure at theMonaco Grand Prix.
At theAustrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second behind teammate Massa, his then-best grid position in Formula One and Williams's first front-row lockout since the2003 German Grand Prix. Both drivers were passed by theMercedes cars during the race, but Bottas held on to third place to achieve his first podium in the sport.[29] Despite starting 14th at theBritish Grand Prix, Bottas made overtakes and benefited fromNico Rosberg's retirement to take another podium finish in second place.[30] He then qualified and finished second at theGerman Grand Prix despite a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton, his third consecutive podium.[31] He was in second place on the opening lap of theHungarian Grand Prix, but lost positions due to unfortunatesafety car timing and a slow pit stop.[32] This was followed by another podium at theBelgian Grand Prix after passingKimi Räikkönen for third place in the closing laps.[33][34] Bottas qualified third at theItalian Grand Prix.Wheelspin dropped him to 11th at the start, but he recovered to fourth place at the finish.[35] Tyre wear dropped him outside the points positions at theSingapore Grand Prix, the only time in 2014 he would finish a race outside the top ten.[36] Another podium came at theRussian Grand Prix where Bottas started and finished third, as well as setting the race'sfastest lap.[37] He qualified fourth at theBrazilian Grand Prix but two slow pit stops relegated him to tenth place.[38][39] He finished third behind Massa at the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, Williams's first double-podium since the2005 Monaco Grand Prix.[40][41]
The 2014 season ended with Bottas fourth in the World Drivers' Championship, ahead of world champions Sebastian Vettel andFernando Alonso.[42] He claimed six podium finishes and scored 186 points to Massa's 134, securing Williams third place in the World Constructors' Championship (the team's best result since2003), and qualified ahead of Massa at thirteen of the nineteen races.[43]Sky Sports wrote that his performances had "impress[ed] greatly"[44] and he was described byMotorsport.com as being "often the quickest non-Mercedes driver".[45]
In September 2014, it was announced that Bottas and Massa would retain their drives with Williams for the2015 season.[46] Bottas qualified sixth at the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix, but suffered a back injury and was taken toThe Alfred Hospital for precautionary checks.[47] Scans found that he had "suffered a very small tear in the annular part of a disc in his lower back" and was deemed unfit to race.[48] He returned to racing at theMalaysian Grand Prix where he started ninth and recovered from a poor start to finish fifth.[49] He scored points at the following three races including fourth-place finishes at theBahrain andSpanish Grands Prix, but failed to score at theMonaco Grand Prix after qualifying 17th. His first of two podiums in 2015 came at theCanadian Grand Prix, where he qualified fourth and benefited from a spin for Kimi Räikkönen to finish third.[50] He qualified fourth behind Massa at theBritish Grand Prix and the two drivers progressed to first and second place in the opening laps. Bottas later commented that he "would have been able to pull a gap" had Massa conceded his position, but the two ultimately dropped back to fourth and fifth by the end.[51] Despite this, the result promoted Bottas to fourth place in the World Drivers' Championship.[52]
Bottas qualified sixth at theHungarian Grand Prix but fell outside the top ten afterMax Verstappen collided with the rear of his car.[53] His best qualifying position of the season thus far came at theBelgian Grand Prix where he started third, but he was handed adrive-through penalty when his team erroneously fitted his car with two different tyre compounds during a pit stop. He went on to finish ninth.[54] He was on course to finish third at theRussian Grand Prix before Räikkönen collided with him on the final lap of the race. Räikkönen received a penalty for the collision but was unapologetic, and Bottas described the incident as "disappointing".[55][56] This was followed by another retirement due to a suspension failure at theUnited States Grand Prix.[57] At theMexican Grand Prix, aDRS fault caused Bottas to crash in practice.[58] He qualified sixth and made up places to finish third, his second and final podium of the season.[59] A collision withJenson Button in the pit lane at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix dropped Bottas outside the points, having started sixth.[60]
Bottas ended his third year in Formula One fifth in the World Drivers' Championship,[61] scoring 136 points to Massa's 121 and helping Williams retain third place in the World Constructors' Championship. AnAutosport poll of the Formula One team principals ranked him the seventh-best driver of the year.[62]
Bottas and Massa remained teammates at Williams for the2016 season. A gearbox penalty required him to start the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix from 16th place, but he recovered to score points in the race. He was judged to have caused a lap-one collision with Lewis Hamilton at theBahrain Grand Prix and received a drive-through penalty; he started sixth and finished ninth. He scored more points at the following three races and achieved his best qualifying performance of the season at theRussian Grand Prix, starting third and finishing fourth. This made Bottas and Massa the only two drivers to score points in each of the first five races of the season.[63] This streak ended at theMonaco Grand Prix, where Bottas started and finished 11th but was demoted to 12th for causing a collision withEsteban Gutiérrez.[64] He claimed the team's only podium finish of 2016 at theCanadian Grand Prix; he qualified seventh but executed a one-stop strategy and climbed to third at the finish.[65][66]
Bottas achieved an unofficial Formula One record speed of 378 km/h (235 mph) at theBaku City Circuit during qualifying for theEuropean Grand Prix.[67] He started sixth at theBritish Grand Prix but a spin dropped him outside the points. He scored points at the following four races, including sixth place at theItalian Grand Prix, but retired from theSingapore Grand Prix after picking up a puncture and encountering issues with his seatbelt and gearbox.[68] This was followed by a drive from 11th on the grid to fifth place at theMalaysian Grand Prix. A first lap puncture caused him to fall outside the points after qualifying eighth at theUnited States Grand Prix, and his season ended with a suspension-related retirement at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Bottas finished the season eighth in the World Drivers' Championship, scoring 85 points to Massa's 53 and qualifying ahead of his teammate at seventeen of the twenty-one races.[69] Williams finished fifth in the World Constructors' Championship, down from third in the previous two years.
Bottas was set to remain at Williams for a fifth year, with the team announcing a2017 lineup of Bottas andLance Stroll in November 2016.[70] Following reigning champion Nico Rosberg's shock retirement from the sport, Mercedes announced in January 2017 that they had signed Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton at the team.[71] Williams deputy team principalClaire Williams commented that she did not want to "stand in the way" of Bottas driving for a championship-contending team.[72]
Bottas qualified and finished third in his first race as a Mercedes driver, theAustralian Grand Prix, behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.[73] At theChinese Grand Prix, he spun behind the safety car and fell from fifth to 12th but recovered to sixth place by the finish.[74] He qualified fastest ahead of Hamilton at theBahrain Grand Prix, marking his first career pole position.[75] Tyre pressure issues during the race contributed to him falling behind Vettel and Hamilton to finish third.[76] He qualified third behind the two Ferraris of Vettel and Räikkönen at theRussian Grand Prix, but overtook both on the opening lap and went on to claim his first Grand Prix victory, making him the fifth Finnish driver to do so.[77] He was able to continue after a first-lap collision with Räikkönen and Max Verstappen at theSpanish Grand Prix, but later retired from third place with an engine failure.[78] He benefited from damage to Vettel's car to finish second behind Hamilton at theCanadian Grand Prix[79] and followed this with a recovery drive at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix; a first-lap collision with Räikkönen had put him a lap behind but thered-flag period and multiple safety cars allowed him to catch up and pass Lance Stroll for second place metres before the finish line.[80]
He took pole and victory at theAustrian Grand Prix after holding off Vettel towards the end of the race, placing him only 15 points behind Hamilton in the championship.[81] Having started theBritish Grand Prix ninth following a grid penalty for a new gearbox, he made his way into third place and was promoted to second behind Hamilton after a late-race tyre failure for Räikkönen's Ferrari.[82] He gave up third place at theHungarian Grand Prix to allow Hamilton to attack the Ferraris ahead, but an ultimately-unsuccessful Hamilton later returned the position to Bottas on the final lap.[83] After the summer break, Bottas started third but finished fifth at theBelgian Grand Prix as he was overtaken by both Daniel Ricciardo and Räikkönen.[84] He started fourth at theItalian Grand Prix, qualifying more than two seconds slower than pole-sitter Hamilton. He recovered to finish second.[85]
He qualified sixth at theSingapore Grand Prix and gained from strategy and the four-car collision on the first lap to finish third.[86] He finished off the podium for the next three races while Hamilton claimed two wins and a second place, but his performances helped Mercedes clinch their fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship at theUnited States Grand Prix.[87] He returned to the podium at theMexican Grand Prix, starting fourth but benefiting from contact between Vettel and Hamilton to finish second. His third pole position of the season came at theBrazilian Grand Prix, but he again finished second after losing the lead to Vettel at the first corner.[88] He claimed pole position again at the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix and went on to achieve his third Grand Prix victory.[89]
Bottas finished third overall in the World Drivers' Championship with 305 points, compared to 363 for teammate and champion Hamilton,[90] and qualified ahead of Hamilton at six of the nineteen races.[91] He was praised for his performances early in the season, butMartin Brundle commented that he "went on the missing list after August"[92] and Bottas described his own season as "disappointing".[93]
In September 2017, Mercedes announced that Bottas would remain with the team for the2018 season.[94] He started 15th at the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix after crashing in qualifying and taking a gearbox penalty,[95] but recovered to score points in eighth place.[96] He qualified third, ahead of Hamilton, at theBahrain Grand Prix. He overtook Räikkönen at the start and finished less than a second behind race winner Vettel.[97] He again qualified third ahead of Hamilton at theChinese Grand Prix and overtook both Ferraris to lead the race, but was ultimately passed by Daniel Ricciardo, who used a safety car period to pit for fresh tyres.[98] He was leading theAzerbaijan Grand Prix with two laps remaining but ran over a piece of debris, causing a puncture and forcing him into retirement.[99] Further podiums came with second-place finishes at theSpanish andCanadian Grands Prix.
Bottas qualified second at theFrench Grand Prix but was hit by Vettel at the start, requiring him to pit for repairs and resulting in a seventh-place finish. Vettel accepted responsibility for the collision,[100] and Bottas remarked that the race "sums up my season so far".[101] He took his first pole position of the year at theAustrian Grand Prix but lost the lead to Hamilton on the first lap and then retired with a gearbox failure. He challenged Hamilton for the lead at theGerman Grand Prix but was ordered by Mercedes to "hold position" and finish second.[102] He was running in second place in the closing laps of theHungarian Grand Prix, but dropped to fifth after making contact with Vettel and Ricciardo in separate incidents. Mercedes team principalToto Wolff praised Bottas's defence against the Ferraris and described him as a "sensationalwingman".[103] Bottas commented that the description was hurtful and that he would discuss the situation with team management.[104] He started 17th at theBelgian Grand Prix due to a power unit components penalty but recovered to fourth place in the race.
Bottas was promoted to the podium at theItalian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen received a penalty for colliding with him.[105] He claimed pole position at theRussian Grand Prix but was ordered by Mercedes to concede his position to Hamilton during the race. Hamilton later indicated that he was unhappy with the order, but Wolff remarked that maximising Hamilton's championship points was the "harsh reality", with Bottas commenting "Lewis is fighting for the drivers' championship and I'm not".[106][107] TheJapanese Grand Prix was his eighth and final podium finish of the year, and he finished fifth at each of the remaining four races.
Bottas became the first Mercedes driver to finish a season without a win sinceMichael Schumacher in 2012, and set a record for the most second-place finishes (seven) in a season without a win.[108] He finished fifth overall in the World Drivers' Championship with 247 points, whilst teammate Hamilton won his fifth world title with 408 points.[109] He described 2018 as his worst season in Formula One,[110] and later revealed that he almost retired from the sport at the end of the season, stating "I lost the joy of F1".[111]
In July 2018, Bottas signed a contract extension with Mercedes for the2019 season with an option for 2020, continuing alongside Hamilton.[112] He qualified second behind Hamilton at theAustralian Grand Prix but overtook Hamilton at the first corner. Bottas went on to win the race by over 20 seconds ahead of Hamilton, his fourth Grand Prix victory.[113] After crossing the finish line, he exclaimed over the radio "to whom it may concern, fuck you", which he later explained was aimed at both himself and the critics of his 2018 performance.[111] He finished second behind Hamilton at theBahrain Grand Prix after race leaderCharles Leclerc slowed with engine issues and dropped behind the Mercedes drivers.[114] He took pole position at theChinese Grand Prix but lost the position to Hamilton at the start, who led the entire race distance to win.[115] Bottas followed this with a victory from pole at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix, promoting him to the lead of the championship by one point over Hamilton.[116]
Azerbaijan would be the final time that Bottas led the championship as Hamilton would win the next four races. Bottas took his third consecutive pole at theSpanish Grand Prix but was overtaken by Hamilton at the first corner and finished second, achieving Mercedes' fifth one-two finish in a row.[117] He qualified second at theMonaco Grand Prix but finished third behind Sebastian Vettel after making contact with Max Verstappen in the pit lane.[118] He qualified sixth and finished off the podium at theCanadian Grand Prix and placed second behind Hamilton at theFrench Grand Prix. He finished third at theAustrian Grand Prix, ahead of Hamilton for the first time since Azerbaijan, but failed to convert pole position into victory at theBritish Grand Prix after Hamilton took advantage of a safety car to jump ahead of Bottas in the pit stop phase.[119][120] He crashed out from fourth place in the closing laps of theGerman Grand Prix,[121] and front-wing damage from contact with Leclerc resulted in an eighth-place finish at theHungarian Grand Prix whilst Hamilton claimed victory, leaving Bottas 62 points behind in the championship ahead of the summer break.[122]
Further podiums came at theBelgian,Italian (where he finished less than a second behind winner Leclerc) andRussian Grands Prix before he claimed his sixth Formula One victory at theJapanese Grand Prix, having started the race behind both Ferraris. This result helped Mercedes clinch their sixth consecutive World Constructors' Championship.[123] He crashed heavily in qualifying at theMexican Grand Prix and started sixth, but recovered to third place in the race.[124][125] He claimed victory from pole at theUnited States Grand Prix, however this was insufficient to prevent race runner-up Hamilton from mathematically securing the championship with two races remaining.[126] Bottas retired from fifth place with an engine failure at theBrazilian Grand Prix and ended the season with a fourth-place finish at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix after starting from the back of the grid.[127][128]
Bottas finished the season in second place in the World Drivers' Championship with 326 points to Hamilton's 413. He recorded four wins, fifteen podium finishes, five pole positions and three fastest laps, making 2019 his most successful year at Mercedes.[129][130] He was rated the fourth-best driver of the season in a poll of the Formula One team principals.[131] On his season, Bottas commented "I've not been able to be at my very, very best every single race, but much more often than ever before", and praised Hamilton's consistency.[132]
Bottas continued driving at Mercedes alongside Hamilton for2020, having agreed to a one-year extension to his contract during the 2019 season.[133] He set the fastest time inpre-season testing at theCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.[134] Bottas took pole position at the season-openingAustrian Grand Prix and led the race from start to finish.[135][136] Before theStyrian Grand Prix, it was revealed that Bottas was underFIA investigation for potentially breachingCOVID-19 safety protocols after he returned home toMonaco, but was eventually cleared of wrongdoing.[137] Bottas qualified fourth in wet conditions for the Styrian Grand Prix and went on to finish second in the race behind Hamilton.[138] Bottas qualified second behind Hamilton at theHungarian Grand Prix, but made a false start and lost four places at the first corner. He was able to recover to third place by the end of the Grand Prix but lost the lead of the championship to race-winner Hamilton.[139] Bottas again qualified second behind Hamilton at theBritish Grand Prix. He ran closely behind Hamilton for most of the race but fell back in the closing laps before suffering a tyre failure with four laps remaining. He returned to the pits for a tyre change and eventually finished 11th.[140] Bottas secured pole position at the following week's70th Anniversary Grand Prix but dropped behind Hamilton in the race, and tyre issues for the Mercedes cars allowed Max Verstappen to pass both drivers to win. This result demoted Bottas to third place in the Drivers' Championship.[141]
Bottas qualified second for theSpanish Grand Prix but lost positions at the start and finished third behind Verstappen,[142] later commenting that the championship was "drifting away".[143] He qualified and finished second at theBelgian Grand Prix,[144] and again qualified second for theItalian Grand Prix, but dropped places in the opening laps and finished fifth. Verstappen's retirement in the race allowed him to regain second place in the Drivers' Championship, 47 points behind Hamilton.[145] At theTuscan Grand Prix, Bottas took the lead from pole-sitter Hamilton on the first lap. The race wasred-flagged on lap seven after a multi-car accident, and Bottas lost the lead to Hamilton shortly after the restart and finished second.[146] He qualified third behind Hamilton and Verstappen for theRussian Grand Prix, but benefited from penalties issued to Hamilton to claim the ninth Grand Prix victory of his career.[147] Bottas took pole position for theEifel Grand Prix but was overtaken by Hamilton after a mistake on lap 13. He later retired from third place with power loss,[148] extending Hamilton's championship lead to 69 points.[149] Bottas finished second at both thePortuguese andEmilia Romagna Grands Prix. He claimed pole position at the latter, but took damage from debris in the early laps and fell to third before regaining second place when Verstappen retired with a tyre failure.[150]
Both Mercedes cars struggled for pace during the wetTurkish Grand Prix qualifying session, with Bottas qualifying ninth. The rain continued during the race and Bottas spun six times after damaging his front wing due to contact with the Renault ofEsteban Ocon, finishing a lap behind race-winner Hamilton in 14th place.[151] This gave Hamilton an unassailable 110-point lead over Bottas in the Drivers' Championship, securing Hamilton his seventh world title.[152] At theBahrain Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second before suffering a puncture during an early safety car period, resulting in an eighth-place finish.[153] He was joined byGeorge Russell at Mercedes for theSakhir Grand Prix as Hamilton was unable to race, and took pole position ahead of Russell by 0.026 seconds.[154] Bottas was overtaken by Russell on the opening lap. A tyre mix-up later in the race dropped both cars down the order, with Bottas being sent into and out of the pits without a tyre change. He lost positions in the closing laps to cars on fresher tyres and finished eighth.[155] At the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bottas qualified and finished second ahead of Hamilton.[156]
Bottas ended the year second in the World Drivers' Championship with 223 points to Hamilton's 347, recording two wins, five pole positions, eleven podiums, and two fastest laps.[157][158] He reflected that again finishing second to Hamilton "can't be that satisfying",[159] but Hamilton commented that the points gap between the two was exaggerated by Bottas's misfortune.[160]
Bottas extended his contract with Mercedes into2021.[161] He started and finished third at the season-openingBahrain Grand Prix. He qualified eighth and was unable to gain ground at theEmilia Romagna Grand Prix[162] before being involved in a high-speed collision with George Russell.[163] Both drivers blamed each other for the incident, but Russell later apologised.[164] At thePortuguese Grand Prix, Bottas qualified on pole position but was passed by Hamilton and Verstappen, and a sensor issue later in the race ended his pursuit of second place.[165] He achieved another podium at theSpanish Grand Prix, qualifying and finishing third.[166] He qualified third at theMonaco Grand Prix and was running in second place due to Charles Leclerc's failure to start. He was then forced into retirement when his team were unable to remove a wheel during his pit stop.[167] He qualified 10th at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix; despite being disadvantaged by red flags, he had "no explanation" for his lack of pace and suspected that something was wrong with his car.[168] He went on to finish 12th,[169] leaving him sixth in the Drivers' Championship.[170]
Bottas qualified third at theFrench Grand Prix, but lost the podium position toSergio Pérez in the latter stages of the race and criticised the team's one-stop strategy after being left out on old tyres.[171] He returned to the podium at theStyrian Grand Prix, finishing third despite a grid penalty for spinning in the pit lane during practice.[172] He started fifth at theAustrian Grand Prix but recovered to finish second, and achieved another podium finish with third place at theBritish Grand Prix. He qualified second for theHungarian Grand Prix but triggered a first-corner crash that eliminated multiple drivers from the race, for which he received a grid penalty.[173] He regained third place in the Drivers' Championship with a podium at theDutch Grand Prix,[174] and followed this by setting the fastest qualifying time and winning the sprint qualifying session at theItalian Grand Prix. Power unit component changes meant he started the race from the back of the grid,[175] but he recovered to fourth place and was promoted to the podium after Pérez received a penalty.[176]
Bottas qualified seventh at theRussian Grand Prix but was again demoted to the back after another engine change.[177] A well-timed pitstop for intermediate tyres on the rapidly dampening track promoted him to fifth place at the end.[178] He qualified second at theTurkish Grand Prix but started on pole after Hamilton incurred a grid penalty. He went on to claim his first and only victory of the year by passing Charles Leclerc for the lead after pitting,[179] a win he described as one of his best ever.[180] Another engine penalty came at theUnited States Grand Prix causing him to start ninth;[181] he gained places to finish sixth.[182] He claimed pole position at theMexico City Grand Prix, but a slow start and contact with Daniel Ricciardo dropped him to the back. He was later brought into the pits multiple times for soft tyres in order to deny Max Verstappen the bonus point for the fastest lap, which was successful.[183] He qualified third at theSão Paulo Grand Prix and benefited from Hamilton's disqualification and an overtake on Verstappen to win the sprint qualifying session,[184] but ultimately dropped behind both drivers in the race.[185] He received a grid penalty at theQatar Grand Prix for ayellow-flag infringement and ultimately retired from the race with puncture damage,[186] but followed this with a podium finish at the inauguralSaudi Arabian Grand Prix after passing Esteban Ocon metres before the finish line.[187] He ended the season by qualifying and finishing sixth at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.[188]
Bottas ended the season third in the World Drivers' Championship with 226 points compared to 387.5 for Hamilton,[189] helping Mercedes to achieve an eighth consecutive World Constructors' Championship. It was announced in September that 2021 would be Bottas's final year with Mercedes, the team replacing him with George Russell. He reflected on his time at Mercedes, stating "I want to be able to say that I squeezed every drop out of this opportunity and left nothing on the table" and remarking that it had been a "privilege and a great sporting challenge" to work with Hamilton. Team principal Toto Wolff praised Bottas's contribution to the team's championship success.[190]
Bottas joinedAlfa Romeo for2022 on a multi-year deal,[191] partnering rookie driverZhou Guanyu.[192] He described the move as "a bit of a project" and that he felt a "responsibility to guide the team".[193][194] At the season-openingBahrain Grand Prix, he qualified and finished sixth despite a slow start that dropped him to 14th on the first lap.[195] At theSaudi Arabian Grand Prix, he started eighth but retired his car on lap 46 due to a cooling issue.[196] He qualified 12th at theAustralian Grand Prix, ending his streak of 103 consecutive Q3 appearances,[197] but scored points by finishing the race eighth. He set a target of a top-five finish at theEmilia Romagna Grand Prix,[198] a result he achieved after qualifying eighth and gaining positions in the sprint and race to finish fifth despite a slow pit stop.[199][200] At theMiami Grand Prix, Bottas qualified fifth despite almost no running in practice due to a crash.[201] He held the position ahead of both Mercedes drivers until lap 50, when a mistake from Bottas allowed them to overtake.[202] He qualified seventh at theSpanish Grand Prix and ran as high as fourth in the race, but dropped to sixth as his tyres degraded.[203]
Bottas qualified 12th and improved to ninth in changing conditions at theMonaco Grand Prix,[204] but finished outside the points for the first time in 2022 at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix.[205] He was eliminated in Q2 at theCanadian Grand Prix but benefited from a late-race safety car and a penalty for Fernando Alonso to be classified seventh at the finish.[206] A ten-race streak of failing to score points followed. Bottas retired from ninth place at theBritish Grand Prix with a gearbox issue, and finished 11th at theAustrian Grand Prix despite a pit-lane start.[207][208] He experienced three consecutive retirements at theHungarian,Belgian andDutch Grands Prix,[209][210][211] after which he identified reliability as an area of weakness for theC42 and commented that rival teams had out-developed Alfa Romeo.[212] He started seventh at theUnited States Grand Prix but retired after spinning into the gravel. He returned to the points at theMexico City Grand Prix, starting sixth and finishing tenth, followed by a ninth-place finish at theSão Paulo Grand Prix despite qualifying 18th.[213][214]
Bottas ended the season 10th in the World Drivers' Championship,[215] scoring 49 points to teammate Zhou's six points and helping Alfa Romeo achieve sixth place in the World Constructors' Championship,[216] theHinwil-based team's best result since also finishing sixth in2012.[216] He described his season as "probably the most enjoyable so far", citing the security of his long-term contract and the more "relaxed" environment compared to that of Mercedes.[217]RaceFans praised his 2022 performance, commenting that his first season at Alfa Romeo "had done far more for his reputation as a driver than his final years at Mercedes."[218]
Bottas continued driving for Alfa Romeo with Zhou for2023.[219] He started the season by qualifying 12th and finishing eighth at theBahrain Grand Prix.[220] Damage from debris produced an 18th-place finish at theSaudi Arabian Grand Prix.[221] He started from the pit lane and benefited from eight drivers' retirements at theAustralian Grand Prix, but scored no points in 11th place. After another 18th-place finish at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix, Bottas commented that theC43 had improved handling compared to the C42, "but it's lacking that pure performance compared to the others".[222] He reached Q3 at theMiami Grand Prix for the first time that year but finished outside the points.[223][224] His first points since Bahrain came at the eighth round, theCanadian Grand Prix; he started 14th,[225] finished 11th and was promoted into the top 10 by a penalty forLando Norris.[226] His car broke down in qualifying at theBritish Grand Prix and he was later disqualified from the session for an insufficient fuel sample.[227] He recovered from 20th on the grid to 12th in the race.[228] After the race, Bottas reflected "we're not meeting the targets we've set ourselves" with the team demoted to ninth in the Constructors' Championship.[229]
Both Alfa Romeo drivers reached Q3 at theHungarian Grand Prix, with Zhou and Bottas fifth and seventh respectively,[230] but neither driver went on to score points after slow starts.[231] Bottas's third points finish of the season came at round 14, theItalian Grand Prix, where he improved from 14th on the grid to 10th at the finish.[232][233] Two consecutive retirements followed, from technical issues at theSingapore Grand Prix and from collision damage at theJapanese Grand Prix.[234][235] His fourth and final points finish of 2023 came at the followingQatar Grand Prix; he qualified ninth and finished eighth, later remarking that the team "finally understand[s]" the car's upgrades.[236] He reached Q3 again at theMexico City Grand Prix but finished outside the points after colliding with Lance Stroll.[237] Both Alfa Romeo drivers then retired from reliability issues at theSão Paulo Grand Prix.[238] He started seventh at theLas Vegas Grand Prix, but a lap-one collision with Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso left him with damage and he went on to finish 17th.[239]
Bottas ended the season 15th in the World Drivers' Championship, scoring ten points to Zhou's six, with Alfa Romeo finishing ninth of the ten teams in the World Constructors' Championship. He qualified ahead of Zhou at 15 of the 22 races,[240] but described the season as a "tough ride" and remarked that the team had made "steady progress but that's not enough".[241]
Bottas and Zhou were retained for the2024 season as the team rebranded toStake F1 TeamKickSauber after its partnership withAlfa Romeo ended.[242][243] He qualified 16th at the season-openingBahrain Grand Prix but a 52-second pit stop demoted him to 19th at the finish.[244] Pit stop issues for Zhou at the followingSaudi Arabian Grand Prix led Bottas to comment that the team's poor start to the season "needs to be a wake-up call"[245] However, the issues continued at theAustralian Grand Prix when awheel nut problem cost Bottas 28 seconds in the pits and the team was fined€5,000 on safety grounds.[246] He made his first Q3 appearance of 2024 at theChinese Grand Prix, qualifying 10th,[247] but retired from the race with an engine failure, marking his first retirement of the season.[248]
Bottas was eliminated in Q1 at the following four races. He commented that the team "still [has] work to do" and that small upgrades for theC44 were scheduled for theSpanish Grand Prix with the hope of returning to Q2.[249] He achieved this by qualifying 12th in Spain, however he was unable to convert the starting position into a points finish.[250][251] Further Q2 appearances came at theHungarian andBelgian Grands Prix, however this was followed by theDutch Grand Prix, where Bottas and teammate Zhou finished 19th and 20th respectively. Bottas described the race as the team's weakest of the year and remarked that the team's issues were "long-term".[252]
Bottas went into the season without a contract for2025, but revealed early in the year that he had begun talks withAudi ahead of their takeover of the Sauber team.[253] In April it was announced that the team had signedNico Hülkenberg for 2025, after which Bottas commented that he was "confident" of finding a seat, but that he could not afford to wait too long for Audi to decide on a second driver with his options narrowing at other teams.[254] The second seat was ultimately taken byFormula 2 graduateGabriel Bortoleto.[255] Sauber's performance improved in the final races of the year; Bottas qualified 11th at theSão Paulo Grand Prix, finished 11th at theQatar Grand Prix with teammate Zhou scoring the team's only points of the season in eighth place,[256] and reached Q3 at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, but went on to retire with collision damage.[257] Bottas described the improvements as "ironic" given his imminent departure from the team.[258]
Bottas ended the season 22nd in the World Drivers' Championship, last of the full-time drivers, and failed to score points over a season for the first time in his career.[259] Reflecting on his three-year tenure at the team, he described his move there in 2022 as a "mistake" and that it was "downhill" after the first year. He also revealed that his decision to join the team was influenced by the presence of team principalFrédéric Vasseur and that he considered exercising an option to leave the team when Vasseur moved to Ferrari, but was convinced to stay after being told he would be a "pillar" of the Audi project.[260]
In December 2024, it was announced that Bottas would be re-joining Mercedes as a reserve driver for2025.[261] He described the move as "like coming back home" and stated his goal was to return to a full-time seat in2026.[262] He revealed that he was offered a seat in theIndyCar Series, but chose to reject the offer due to his concerns about struggling to adapt to a new category after twelve years in Formula One.[263] In March, he undertook a private test in theMcLaren MCL60 as part of a reserve driver sharing arrangement between Mercedes and McLaren.[264]
In August 2025,Cadillac announced that Bottas had signed for their debut2026 campaign alongside six-time Grand Prix winnerSergio Pérez; he described being part of a new project as "incredibly special" and thankedMercedes for facilitating the move.[265]
In January 2019, Bottas took part in theArctic Rally, recording a stage win and finishing fifth overall.[266][267] In December 2019, he won thePaul Ricard-based Rallycircuit Côte d'Azur.[268][269] In 2020, Bottas again participated in the Arctic Lapland Rally, where he drove aCitroën DS3 WRC car and finished ninth.[270] He later partook in anExtreme E test in October 2020, alongsideJean-Éric Vergne andSébastien Loeb.[271] In January 2021, Bottas competed in his third Arctic Lapland Rally. He scored a class podium and finished sixth overall.[272][273]
Bottas was set to make hisRace of Champions debut in2022, partneringtwo-time Formula One championMika Häkkinen.[274] However, he dropped out of the event last minute.[275] Bottas then competed at the2023 edition of the event alongside Häkkinen.[276] Representing Finland in the Nations Cup tournament, Bottas and Häkkinen were knocked out by the Team eROC pair ofJarno Opmeer andLucas Blakeley, having drawn 2–2 in the races but losing on a countback of total lap times.[277] In the Champion of Champions tournament, Bottas was knocked out byTom Kristensen.[278]
In March 2021, Bottas became a co-owner ofice hockey teamLahti Pelicans of Finland'sLiiga when he bought a 10 percent stake in the team.[279] Bottas co-owns coffeeroasteryKahiwa Coffee Roasters in Lahti, Finland.[280][281] In April 2022, Bottas, in partnership with girlfriend Cromwell, launchedOath, a premiumgin "embodying our family heritages from Australia and Finland".[282]
In 2023, ahead of that year's Australian Grand Prix, Bottas announced a collaboration with coffee brand ST. ALi, and worked a shift as a barista at a location.[283]
Bottas is a co-founder and partner ofFNLD GRVL, agravel cycling event inLahti, Finland, which he organises alongside his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell and American cyclistAmy Charity ofSBT GRVL.[284][285] In 2024, Bottas raced in the men's 35–39 age category race at theUCI Gravel World Championships inFlemish Brabant, Belgium.[286] He finished in 134th place out of 233 entries.[287] He had qualified for the World Championships after finishing sixth out of 24 entries in his age group at the Swartberg 100 gravel race in South Africa in April.[288]
In 2017, Bottas launched theValtteri Bottas Duathlon, an annual sporting event held in Finland, which raises money for charity.[289][290] In May 2022, in collaboration with German photographerPaul Ripke, more than 5,000 print copies were sold of a photo taken by Cromwell of Bottas naked in anAspen, Colorado stream, raising more than €50,000 for charity.[291] Bottas again worked with Ripke in 2023 to create anude calendar, titledBOTTASS 2024, which raised$150,000 formen's health organisationMovember.[292]
On 11 September 2016, Bottas married his long-time girlfriend,Emilia Pikkarainen, a fellow Finn and an Olympic swimmer whom he had been dating since 2010. The couple were married atSt. John's Church inHelsinki.[293] On 28 November 2019, Bottas announced their separation and divorce, citing the "challenges my career and life situation bring".[294] Since February 2020, Bottas has been in a relationship with Australian cyclistTiffany Cromwell.[295][296] Bottas resides in Monaco, and also has a lake house in his native Finland.[297]
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