Valtteri Bottas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valtteri Bottas
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Bottas at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix
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| Born |
Valtteri Viktor Bottas
28 August 1989 Nastola, Päijät-Häme, Finland
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| Spouse(s) |
Emilia Pikkarainen
(m. 2016; div. 2019) |
| Partner(s) | Tiffany Cromwell (2020–present) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Active years | 2013–2024 |
| Teams | Williams, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Sauber |
| Car number | 77 |
| Entries | 247 (246 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Podiums | 67 |
| Career points | 1797 |
| Pole positions | 20 |
| Fastest laps | 19 |
| First entry | 2013 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2017 Russian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2021 Turkish Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| 2024 position | 22nd (0 pts) |
| Previous series | |
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| Championship titles | |
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Valtteri Viktor Bottas (born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver. He is currently a reserve driver in Formula One for Mercedes. Bottas competed in Formula One from 2013 to 2024. He finished second in the World Drivers' Championship twice, in 2019 and 2020, while driving for Mercedes. He won 10 Grand Prix races during his 12 seasons.
Valtteri was born and grew up in Nastola, Finland. He started kart racing when he was six years old. After studying automotive engineering and completing military service, Bottas began racing in junior series in 2007. He won his first championship in the Formula Renault NEC in 2008. That same year, he also won the Formula Renault Eurocup by a small margin over Daniel Ricciardo. Both wins were with the Motopark team.
He then won the Masters of Formula 3 race two years in a row, in 2009 and 2010, with ART. In 2011, he won the GP3 Series. After two years as a test driver, Bottas joined Williams in 2013. He made his Formula One debut at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. In 2014, he finished fourth in the championship and earned his first podium (a top-three finish) at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. During his four seasons with Williams, Bottas finished on the podium nine times.
Bottas moved to Mercedes in 2017, taking the place of the retired Nico Rosberg. He became teammates with Lewis Hamilton. He achieved his first pole position in Bahrain and his first win in Russia. He finished third in the championship that year, with more wins in Austria and Abu Dhabi. After a season without wins in 2018, Bottas finished second to Hamilton in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. His last win for Mercedes was at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix in 2021. He left Mercedes at the end of that season, having helped the team win five straight World Constructors' Championships.
He then joined Alfa Romeo in 2022 and continued with them in 2023. After a 2024 season where he didn't score points with the re-branded Sauber team, Bottas returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver.
Valtteri Bottas has achieved 10 race wins, 20 pole positions, 19 fastest laps, and 67 podium finishes in Formula One. He holds the Formula One record for the most career points (1,797) without winning a World Drivers' Championship.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Valtteri Viktor Bottas was born on 28 August 1989 in Nastola, Finland. His parents are Rauno Bottas and Marianne Välimaa. His father owns a small cleaning company, and his mother is an undertaker. Bottas studied automotive engineering at a special school in Heinola. He graduated as an auto mechanic. He also completed mandatory military service in the Finnish Defence Forces Sports School in Lahti. His military rank is lance corporal.
Junior Racing Career
Karting Adventures
Bottas became interested in motorsport at age six. He saw an advertisement for a karting event at a supermarket and decided to visit. His racing hero when he was growing up was fellow Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen.
In 2005, Bottas finished eighth in the Karting World Cup. He raced for the P.D.B. Racing Team.
Climbing the Ranks: Lower Formulae
Bottas won both the 2008 Formula Renault Eurocup and the 2008 Formula Renault Northern European Cup. He was the second driver to win both championships in the same year.
He also won three out of four races in the 2007 Formula Renault UK Winter Series.
Success in Formula Three
Bottas moved up to the Formula Three Euroseries in 2009, racing for the champions ART Grand Prix. He didn't win a race but earned two pole positions and finished third in the championship. In June 2009, Bottas won the Masters of Formula 3 race, also getting pole position and the fastest lap. He won this event again in 2010, becoming the first driver to win the F3 Masters title twice.
In 2011, he competed in the GP3 Series with ART. After a difficult start, he won a race in each of the last four weekends. He secured the championship title by winning the second-to-last race.
Formula One Career
Williams Team (2010–2016)
2010–2012: Test and Reserve Driver
Valtteri Bottas became the official Formula One test driver for the Williams team in January 2010. The team boss, Frank Williams, praised Bottas's success in junior racing. Bottas helped test the team's car, the FW32. He continued this role in 2011 and took part in his first full test in November. His role grew in 2012 after he won the GP3 Series. He participated in fifteen Friday practice sessions, making his first Grand Prix weekend appearance at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.
2013: Debut Season in F1
In November 2012, it was announced that Bottas would be a full-time Williams race driver for the 2013 season, replacing Bruno Senna. He raced alongside Pastor Maldonado. He started 16th and finished 14th in his first race, the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. He improved from 18th to 11th at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, just missing out on points. At the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix, he qualified an impressive third, which was Williams's first top-ten start that year. However, he finished 14th in the race.
A hydraulics problem caused his first retirement of the season at the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix. Bottas scored his first Formula One points at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, finishing eighth. This was the team's best result of 2013. He ended his first season 17th in the championship, scoring four of Williams's five points. He often qualified better than his teammate Maldonado.
2014: First Podiums
Williams kept Bottas for the 2014 season, and he teamed up with Felipe Massa. At the first race in Australia, Bottas started 15th due to a gearbox change penalty. He hit a wall during the race, causing a flat tire, but still finished sixth. He was later moved up to fifth place. He received another penalty at the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix for blocking another driver, starting 18th, but finished eighth.
At the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second, right behind his teammate Massa. This was Williams's first time having both cars on the front row since 2003. Both drivers were passed by the Mercedes cars during the race. However, Bottas held on to third place, earning his first podium finish in Formula One. He then took another podium, finishing second at the 2014 British Grand Prix. He continued his success with a third consecutive podium, finishing second at the 2014 German Grand Prix.
He earned another podium at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, finishing third. Bottas also finished third at the 2014 Russian Grand Prix and set the fastest lap of the race. He finished third again at the final race in Abu Dhabi, giving Williams their first double-podium since 2005.
The 2014 season ended with Bottas in fourth place in the championship. He had six podium finishes and scored 186 points. This helped Williams secure third place in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since 2003.
2015 Season
In September 2014, Williams announced that Bottas and Massa would continue to race for them in 2015. Bottas qualified sixth at the first race in Australia but suffered a back injury and couldn't race. Scans showed a small tear in a disc in his lower back. He returned to racing at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing fifth. He scored points in the next three races, including two fourth-place finishes.
His first of two podiums in 2015 came at the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished third. At the 2015 British Grand Prix, Bottas and Massa were running first and second early in the race. Bottas later said he could have pulled away if Massa had let him pass. They both dropped to fourth and fifth by the end.
At the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix, he received a penalty because his team accidentally put two different types of tires on his car during a pit stop. He finished ninth. He was set to finish third at the 2015 Russian Grand Prix but was hit by Kimi Räikkönen on the final lap. Bottas described the incident as "disappointing." He also retired from the 2015 United States Grand Prix due to a suspension problem. His second podium of the season came at the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix, where he finished third.
Bottas finished his third year in Formula One in fifth place in the championship, scoring 136 points. He helped Williams keep third place in the Constructors' Championship.
2016 Season
Bottas and Massa remained teammates at Williams for the 2016 season. A gearbox penalty meant he started the first race in Australia from 16th, but he still scored points. He received a penalty at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix for causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap. He finished ninth. He scored points in the next three races and achieved his best qualifying result of the season at the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, starting third and finishing fourth.
Bottas achieved the team's only podium finish of 2016 at the 2016 Canadian Grand Prix. He started seventh but used a one-stop strategy to climb to third place.
He set an unofficial Formula One speed record of 378 km/h (235 mph) at the Baku City Circuit during qualifying for the 2016 European Grand Prix. He scored points in four more races but retired from the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix due to a flat tire and other issues. His season ended with another retirement at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because of a suspension problem.
Bottas finished the season eighth in the championship, scoring 85 points. Williams finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship, down from third in the previous two years.
Mercedes Team (2017–2021)
2017: First Race Win
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Bottas was expected to stay at Williams for 2017. However, after reigning champion Nico Rosberg suddenly retired, Mercedes signed Bottas to race alongside Lewis Hamilton. Williams allowed Bottas to leave, saying they didn't want to stop him from joining a top team.
Bottas finished third in his first race for Mercedes, the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. At the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix, he spun behind the safety car but recovered to sixth. He earned his first career pole position at the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix. He then claimed his first Grand Prix victory at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix, becoming the fifth Finnish driver to win a Formula One race.
He retired from the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix with an engine problem. He finished second behind Hamilton at the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix. He also made an amazing comeback at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After a first-lap collision, he was a lap behind, but a red flag and safety cars helped him catch up and finish second.
He took pole position and won at the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix, which put him only 15 points behind Hamilton in the championship. He finished second at the 2017 British Grand Prix. At the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, he let Hamilton pass him to attack the Ferraris ahead. Hamilton later gave the position back to Bottas on the final lap.
Bottas finished third at the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix. Mercedes secured their fourth Constructors' Championship at the 2017 United States Grand Prix. He returned to the podium at the 2017 Mexican Grand Prix, finishing second. He claimed pole position again at the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and went on to win his third Grand Prix.
Bottas finished third overall in the championship with 305 points. He was praised for his early season performance.
2018 Season
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Mercedes announced in September 2017 that Bottas would stay with the team for the 2018 season. He started 15th at the first race in Australia after a qualifying crash but finished eighth. He finished second at both the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix and the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix. He was leading the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with two laps left but hit debris, causing a flat tire and forcing him to retire. He earned more podiums with second-place finishes at the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix and 2018 Canadian Grand Prix.
Bottas qualified second at the 2018 French Grand Prix but was hit by Sebastian Vettel at the start. He finished seventh. He took his first pole position of the year at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix but retired with a gearbox problem. At the 2018 German Grand Prix, he was told by Mercedes to stay behind Hamilton and finish second.
He finished fifth overall in the championship with 247 points. Bottas became the first Mercedes driver since Michael Schumacher in 2012 to finish a season without a win. He later said that he almost quit Formula One at the end of 2018 because he "lost the joy of F1."
2019–2020: Championship Runner-up
In July 2018, Bottas signed a contract to stay with Mercedes for the 2019 season. He qualified second behind Hamilton at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix but overtook him at the first corner. Bottas went on to win the race by over 20 seconds. He finished second behind Hamilton at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix. He took pole position at the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix but lost the lead to Hamilton. Bottas then won from pole position at the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which put him in the lead of the championship by one point over Hamilton.
Azerbaijan was the last time Bottas led the championship that year. He took his third straight pole position at the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix but was overtaken by Hamilton and finished second. He finished third at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix. He crashed out from fourth place in the final laps of the 2019 German Grand Prix.
He earned more podiums at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, 2019 Italian Grand Prix, and 2019 Russian Grand Prix. He then claimed his sixth Formula One victory at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix. This win helped Mercedes secure their sixth Constructors' Championship. He won from pole position at the 2019 United States Grand Prix. However, this wasn't enough to stop Hamilton from winning the championship.
Bottas finished the season in second place in the championship with 326 points. He had four wins, fifteen podiums, five pole positions, and three fastest laps, making 2019 his most successful year at Mercedes.
Bottas continued with Mercedes alongside Hamilton for 2020. He set the fastest time in pre-season testing. Bottas took pole position at the first race in Austria and led from start to finish to win. He finished second behind Hamilton at the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix. Bottas qualified second at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix but made a false start and lost places. He recovered to finish third.
At the 2020 British Grand Prix, he suffered a tire failure with four laps left and finished 11th. Bottas secured pole position at the next race, the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, but finished third.
He finished second at both the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix and the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Bottas took the lead from Hamilton on the first lap of the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix. He finished second after a red flag restart. He won his ninth Grand Prix victory at the 2020 Russian Grand Prix. Bottas took pole position at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix but retired with power loss.
During the wet 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, Bottas spun six times and finished 14th. This race secured Hamilton his seventh world title. At the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Bottas took pole position. A tire mix-up during the race dropped him down the order, and he finished eighth. At the final race in Abu Dhabi, Bottas qualified and finished second.
Bottas ended 2020 in second place in the championship with 223 points. He had two wins, five pole positions, and eleven podiums.
2021: Final Season at Mercedes
Bottas extended his contract with Mercedes for 2021. He finished third at the first race in Bahrain. He was involved in a high-speed collision with George Russell at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Both drivers blamed each other. At the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, Bottas qualified on pole but was passed by Hamilton and Verstappen. He achieved another podium at the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, finishing third.
He retired from the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix when his team couldn't remove a wheel during his pit stop. He finished 12th at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leaving him sixth in the championship.
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Bottas finished third at the 2021 French Grand Prix. He returned to the podium at the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix, finishing third despite a penalty. He finished second at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix and third at the 2021 British Grand Prix. He caused a first-corner crash at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, which eliminated several drivers. He received a grid penalty for this.
He regained third place in the championship with a podium at the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. He then won the sprint qualifying session at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. He started the main race from the back due to engine changes but recovered to fourth, later promoted to a podium finish.
He claimed his first and only victory of the year at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. He started on pole and passed Charles Leclerc for the lead. He described it as one of his best wins ever. He finished on the podium at the first-ever 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Bottas ended the season third in the championship with 226 points. He helped Mercedes win their eighth Constructors' Championship in a row. It was announced in September that 2021 would be Bottas's last year with Mercedes. He said it had been a "privilege and a great sporting challenge" to work with Hamilton.
Alfa Romeo / Sauber (2022–2024)
2022: New Team, New Start
Bottas joined Alfa Romeo for 2022 on a multi-year deal, partnering rookie driver Zhou Guanyu. He called the move "a bit of a project" and felt responsible for guiding the team. At the first race in Bahrain, he finished sixth despite a slow start. He retired from the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to a cooling issue. He finished eighth at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, ending his streak of 103 straight appearances in Q3 (the final part of qualifying).
He finished fifth at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. At the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, Bottas qualified fifth. He held his position ahead of both Mercedes cars until a mistake on lap 50 allowed them to pass. He finished sixth at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
Bottas finished outside the points for the first time in 2022 at the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He retired from the 2022 British Grand Prix with a gearbox problem. He had three retirements in a row at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, and 2022 Dutch Grand Prix. He said that reliability was a weak point for their car, the C42. He returned to the points at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing tenth.
Bottas ended the season 10th in the championship with 49 points. He helped Alfa Romeo achieve sixth place in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since 2012. He described his season as "probably the most enjoyable so far."
2023 Season
Bottas continued driving for Alfa Romeo with Zhou for 2023. He started the season by finishing eighth at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished 18th at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to debris damage. After another 18th-place finish at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bottas said their car, the C43, handled better but lacked pure speed compared to others.
His first points since Bahrain came at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished tenth after a penalty for another driver. His car broke down in qualifying at the 2023 British Grand Prix, and he was later disqualified. He recovered from 20th to 12th in the race. Bottas said the team wasn't meeting its goals.
Both Alfa Romeo drivers reached Q3 at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, but neither scored points. Bottas's third points finish of the season came at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, where he improved from 14th to 10th. He had two retirements in a row due to technical issues and collision damage. His fourth and final points finish of 2023 came at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where he finished eighth.
Bottas ended the season 15th in the championship with ten points. Alfa Romeo finished ninth out of ten teams in the Constructors' Championship. He described the season as a "tough ride."
2024 Season
Bottas and Zhou were kept for the 2024 season as the team changed its name to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. At the first race in Bahrain, a very slow pit stop dropped him to 19th. Pit stop problems continued, and Bottas said the team's poor start "needs to be a wake-up call." At the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, a wheel nut problem cost Bottas 28 seconds in the pits.
He made his first Q3 appearance of 2024 at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, qualifying 10th, but retired from the race with an engine problem. Bottas was eliminated in Q1 in the next four races. He said the team "still has work to do." He reached Q2 at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix but didn't score points. He also made Q2 at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix and 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
Bottas went into the season without a contract for 2025. He had talks with Audi about their takeover of the Sauber team. In April, it was announced that Nico Hülkenberg would join the team for 2025. Bottas said he was "confident" he would find a seat. The second seat was eventually taken by Gabriel Bortoleto. Sauber's performance improved in the final races. Bottas finished 11th at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix and reached Q3 at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but retired with collision damage.
Bottas ended the season 22nd in the championship, last among full-time drivers. He failed to score points in a season for the first time in his career. He described his move to the team in 2022 as a "mistake."
Mercedes Reserve Driver (2025)
In December 2024, it was announced that Bottas would return to Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025. He said it felt "like coming back home" and that his goal was to return to a full-time racing seat in 2026. He was offered a seat in the IndyCar Series but chose not to take it. He was concerned about adapting to a new type of racing after 12 years in Formula One. In March, he took part in a private test for the McLaren MCL60 car as part of a reserve driver sharing agreement between Mercedes and McLaren.
Other Racing Activities
Rallying Adventures
In January 2019, Bottas competed in the Arctic Rally. He won one stage and finished fifth overall. In December 2019, he won the Rallycircuit Côte d'Azur. In 2020, Bottas raced in the Arctic Lapland Rally again, driving a Citroën DS3 WRC car and finishing ninth. He also took part in an Extreme E test in October 2020. In January 2021, Bottas competed in his third Arctic Lapland Rally, finishing sixth overall.
Race of Champions
Bottas was supposed to make his Race of Champions debut in 2022, teaming up with two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen. However, he had to pull out at the last minute. Bottas then competed at the 2023 event with Häkkinen. They represented Finland in the Nations Cup but were knocked out. In the Champion of Champions tournament, Bottas was knocked out by Tom Kristensen.
Other Ventures
Business Interests
In March 2021, Bottas became a co-owner of the ice hockey team Lahti Pelicans in Finland. He bought a 10 percent share in the team. Bottas also co-owns a coffee roastery called Kahiwa Coffee Roasters in Lahti, Finland. In April 2022, Bottas and his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell launched Oath, a premium gin brand.
In 2023, Bottas worked with the coffee brand ST. ALi and even worked a shift as a barista.
Gravel Cycling
Bottas is a co-founder of FNLD GRVL, a gravel cycling event in Lahti, Finland. He organizes it with his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell and American cyclist Amy Charity. In 2024, Bottas raced in the men's 35–39 age category at the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium. He finished 134th out of 233 entries. He qualified for the World Championships by finishing sixth in his age group at a race in South Africa.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
In 2017, Bottas started the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon. This is an annual sports event in Finland that raises money for charity. In May 2022, a photo of Bottas taken by Cromwell was sold as prints, raising over €50,000 for charity. Bottas also worked on a calendar called BOTTASS 2024 in 2023, which raised $150,000 for men's health organization Movember.
Personal Life
On 11 September 2016, Bottas married Emilia Pikkarainen, an Olympic swimmer from Finland. They had been dating since 2010. They were married in St. John's Church in Helsinki. On 28 November 2019, Bottas announced their separation. Since February 2020, Bottas has been in a relationship with Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. Bottas lives in Monaco and also has a lake house in Finland.
Awards and Honours
Formula One Achievements
- Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up: 2019, 2020
- DHL Fastest Lap Award: 2018
- Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2018
Other Awards
- Sky Sports Award for Most Improved Driver: 2014
- Confartigianato Motori Driver of the Year: 2017
- AKK-Motorsport Driver of the Year: 2019
Images for kids
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Bottas during practice at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
See also
In Spanish: Valtteri Bottas para niños
