THE STATS
AGE: 36 | GPS: 249 | CHAMP. BEST: 2nd | wINS: 10 | pOLES: 20 | Podiums: 67
| Full Name | Valtteri Viktor Bottas |
| Date of Birth | 28/08/89 |
| Place of Birth | Nastola, Finland |
| Team | Cadillac Formula 1 Team |
| First Entry | Australia 13 |
| First Podium | Austria 14 |
| First Win | Russia 17 |
| Last Win | Turkey 21 |
| Last Podium | Saudi Arabia 21 |
| Most Successful Track | Red Bull Ring, Austria | 2 wins, 2 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd |
The Bio
Learning his craft on Finnish roads of ice and snow, Valtteri Bottas was born to be a grand prix racer.
Bottas explains that if you can drive on the frozen roads of his homeland then you can drive anywhere. Then there’s the Finnish mentality –reserved, diligent and calm, the fast lane of F1 doesn’t faze him.
Making his F1 debut with Williams in 2013, Bottas soon became part of the family. Points and podiums followed with the reliable racer even amassing the most points without a win, a record he resented but that showcased his ability. The fact the Finn was such a points machine saw him suddenly promoted to the most coveted seat in F1 – Nico Rosberg’s vacant championship-winning seat at Mercedes in 2017.
He picked up 10 wins over five seasons with the Silver Arrows, twice finishing 2nd in the championship behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.
In 2022 he started a new chapter in his F1 career, replacing compatriot Kimi Räikkönen to lead an all-new line-up at Alfa Romeo, later Kick Sauber, and taking Chinese rookie Zhou Guanyu under his wing. But after a promising start, the team’s form faltered over subsequent seasons and, for 2025, Bottas found himself back at Mercedes in a reserve role.
But the Bottas story was far from over. A driver of his experience and speed would be invaluable to an all-new Formula 1 team – one like Cadillac, for example.
THE PHOTOs
