F1 summer break is now in full swing, however, the big question throughout 2021 remains... will Bottas return to Mercedes next season as the new regulations come into play, does he have his sights set on other teams or will it be a complete change of scenery away from F1? BTL blog team give their thoughts -
Lenny's opinion:
I don't think Pourchaire or Llott are ready for F1 yet. Bottas would slide right into that Alfa Romeo seat, well.. if Raikonnen does retire at the end of this season. He's too valuable to say bye to F1 but not valuable enough to stay at Mercedes.
Arabella's opinion:
In all honesty, I think Valtteri is on the way out of Mercedes. George Russell has outgrown that Williams and I think the switch is inevitable. Personally I would like to see Valtteri in a midfield car such as an Aston Martin or an Alpine but with contracts and other driver placements that's not looking likely. I think Williams looks like the new home for Valtteri, if he were to stay in F1 and I believe he could really speed up the process of the quickly developing Williams car with his talent and experience. After all, it's where his career started and would be seen as a good way to end his time in the sport. However, if Valterri chose to go else where I believe a sabbatical would be a possibility, taking time to reflect and think about his plans for the future.
Caitlyn's opinion:
I think Bottas knows in himself that changes are coming. I'd like to see him back at Williams as of course that's where his F1 career began and he could really prove himself worthy to the team. He's too established in the sport to say goodbye just yet, bringing Williams back to top form could be possible if he does take that second seat, proving his loyalty too, that he would be happy to continue the partnership and take Williams back to those top 10 grid spots, now that he has experience with the top team on the grid for the past 4 years. He knows he can be the better teammate given the opportunity to be with a team that require his level of expertise and experience to improve themselves. Alfa Romeo isn't out of the question either with recent rumours surfacing.. only time will tell!
Alvi's opinion:
A week into the Summer break and the world of Formula 1 couldn’t get any more exciting. It’s the start of the so called “Silly Season”. The team which has been under the microscope for the past year now is Mercedes as they have not only been urged by their fans but by the man himself, George Russell, to try and negotiate a move for him to the Works team. If Russel was to land a spot at Mercedes, he would be partnering current championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who has recently signed a two-year contract with the team. Now the question we all are asking is what wouldhappen to the man he’s replacing, Valtteri Bottas, which is what today’s topic will be about. Valtteri Bottas is a driver who is not short of any talent. He has been key to Mercedes’ dominance in the turbo hybrid era after Nico Rosberg’s shock departure. However, with a poor start to the 2021 season, there is not a lot of hope for the flying Fin to extend his stay at the works team. Currently there are not many seats available as may of the teams have secured long term deals with their current drivers. There are only three possible destinations for Bottas in 2022:
The first and most realistic option would be a direct driver swap with Williams. The investment from Dorilton Capital, as well as the Technical regulations reset only pushes Williams to be a more competitive outfit in the near future. The Williams side have a very strong partnership with Mercedes whether it being securing a powerplant, or even taking on Mercedes junior driver George Russel. Williams would be looking for a driver to lead the team and who has great set up knowledge which is no hard task for Valtteri. Also, he would have some comfort as he would already understand how to get the best of the Mercedes power unit. More importantly, being liberated from the “Second Driver” role would give Bottas a great deal of confidence. Current Williams Senior Advisor Jenson Button had told f1i.com that Bottas would “be in a better place” mentally.
Option Number 2 would be a potential move to Alfa Romeo,with 2007 F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen set for possible retirement. Bottas has been on the radar of the Swiss based organisation ever since there were discussions of his future. During the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo CEO Frédéric Vasseur was seen a numerous number of times in the Mercedes Team Motorhome. Planet F1’s Schmidt reported a total of 10 visits. It is rumoured that Vasseur met with Bottas’ representatives in order to discuss team goals over the coming years and to work out contract terms. Honestly, I would not be shocked if this move materialised as the team had used their development tokens effectively for 2021 to close the gap between themselves and the midfield with Ferrari junior,Antonio Giovinazzi, getting the team into Q3 in the Monaco GP. This could only project more performance gains with the new era of Formula One in 2022. Overall, both options of Williams and Alfa Romeo could be great landing sports for the fin.
The final and most unlikely destination for the Flying Fin would be to explore a career outside of F1 such as Rally car or LMP1. Let us not forget that Kimi also took a two-year break from F1 to study the arts of Rallying and NASCAR. Having said that, I do believe with Bottas’ skillset and trap record, he would be in High demand to the lower midfield teams.
Ellie's opinion:
The biggest question of the season isn’t if George Russell is going to Mercedes it is now, where will the nine-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas find his next seat in Formula 1. Valtteri has become one of the finest drivers in the sport alongside his teammate Lewis Hamilton, and that will only bring out the best in you. When you have the firepower of a Mercedes Engine, you and that car are destined for success, as seen in recent years. Valtteri Bottas and his accolades speak for themselves, and with 62 podiums and numerous pole positions, it is a given for another team with the same power, right?
Starting his career at Williams in 2013, this seems the perfect return with the new FIA regulation changes for Formula 1 next season as we know Williams Racing has struggled to be its old competitive self over the past few years. This season we have seen both Nicholas Latifi and George Russell gain their first points for Williams at the Hungarian GP and seeing the emotion from the team after this race spoke volumes of where they want to be in the future and their desire to achieve more.
As the changes come into action and with Williams Racing partnered with Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas is the first choice alongside Nicholas Latifi for the 2022 season. Each team on the grid will automatically have a more competitive car with these new regulations. Valtteri Bottas is a very experienced driver who will surely shine through the field. The team at Williams have an exciting young driver also pushing for that seat, such as Jack Aitken, who ventured into the Williams seat for the first-time last season. The future for Valtteri Bottas is going to be decided this summer break, with Toto Wolf and the team at the heart of the decision, this could be the bold statement of this season or the biggest shake-up of the grid, and if Bottas chooses a different path that could be in red and white...
We've given our verdicts.. what's yours? Let us know in the comments below or via BTL socials!
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