Bottas: “It starts to eat you up from the inside”

In the end, it is also a liberation for the future Alfa Romeo driver, who has signed a contract there for several years and will be the new leading figure after the departure of compatriot Kimi Räikkönen. “He was always known as a teammate of Lewis. The new chapter for us means that he has to become the leader,” explained Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur. Bottas will no longer “stand in someone’s shadow.”

The shadow at Mercedes was overwhelming, it was Hamilton's shadow. After world champion Nico Rosberg's sudden retirement at the end of 2016, the Silver Arrows needed a reliable and fast new teammate for the Brit. If possible, someone who would not put a strain on the internal climate.

The choice fell on Williams driver Bottas, whom Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had once advised himself. Since then, Hamilton has become world champion four times in a row, and Mercedes has also always secured the constructors' title during this time. Bottas himself was twice runner-up in the world championship. Bottas talks about pressure However, the 32-year-old had too many performance fluctuations for the industry leader, William driver George Russell (23) will replace him in 2022. The burden of the uncertain future and the force of the contract negotiations have left their mark on Bottas. “Toto thinks that pressure is good for me,” he said. “I agree that pressure is good for a while and can get more out of you, but when you are under contractual pressure for nine years of your Formula 1 career, year after year, then it starts to eat you up from the inside “.

Since he began his career in Formula 1 in 2012, Bottas has only ever had contracts of one year. “I was never able to look further than six months ahead,” he said, describing the constant pressure of having to recommend himself for a new contract. “This just doesn’t work for me.” “He was the best teammate I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” Lewis Hamilton on Valtteri Bottas Hamilton has always praised Bottas. “He was the best teammate I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” said the Brit, raving about his speed and resilience. The man next to him is “a gentleman.” Bottas is repeatedly criticized – also internally A lot still depends on Bottas for Hamilton this season. The 36-year-old needs the support of his teammate in order to be able to catch up with World Cup leader Max Verstappen from the Netherlands. Bottas made a mistake in Mexico. On the way to the first corner he left the outside open, Verstappen braked past and then drove the race home.

“Something like that shouldn’t happen,” criticized Wolff angrily. A number two - even if it is not officially called that - is ultimately supposed to support the star driver, keep the opposing number one right behind him or take the rivals by surprise through perfect timing during pit stops.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez from Mexico has become increasingly comfortable in this role after having difficulty adapting this season. Bottas now hopes that the certainty about his future that he has had since the beginning of September will help him in the last kilometers of the year. “It's almost as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders,” he said, describing the unfamiliar feeling of planning security. Maybe Hamilton can benefit from this too.

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Bottas: “It starts to eat you up from the inside”

Leaving Mercedes at the end of the year took a toll on Valtteri Bottas. The Finn spoke openly about his feelings.

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