Valtteri Bottas reveals he was close to Ferrari: "It's a life-changing choice"

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Valtteri Bottas appears relaxed, with the same genial and friendly demeanor that comes across when watching him on TV. Above all, he is smiling and ready to talk with extreme calm and great professionalism about every topic he is asked about. This is how the Finnish driver arrives, wearing a Mercedes shirt, sporting his signature mustache, and dressed casually as if for a day at the beach, in the Imola paddock for an exclusive interview with Formula1.it, finally fulfilling a long-awaited and sought-after meeting with one of the most well-known personalities in the paddock—popular, if you will, but undoubtedly too often underestimated and simultaneously criticized during his career in the top tier of motorsport. A journey, currently paused, that Valtteri himself wants to resume as soon as possible. Perhaps as early as 2026, when he hopes to be ready for a potential call from an F1 team, a category for which he is far from “finished.”

Ready for a comeback

For this reason, the 35-year-old from Nastola is keeping himself fit both physically and mentally, having accepted the role of reserve driver for the Mercedes team. He keeps his helmet ready for testing opportunities, both with the Brackley squad and with McLaren, where he serves as the third driver, while staying fully engaged with the current F1 scene to keep pace with a world that moves fast. While the former Williams driver prepares for his return to the Circus, he also took the opportunity to reflect on his Formula 1 career, which among other achievements, saw him win ten Grands Prix and contribute to years of success with Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver in F1 history, who this year accepted a move to Ferrari. Bottas spoke about his former teammate’s decision, emphasizing how such a move represents a life-changing choice, exciting and appealing for any driver.

“I can understand his decision; sometimes change is necessary, and I believe that for him, moving to Ferrari is a great opportunity. It’s a choice that changes your life, and I think it’s a good one, for him and beyond.”

Those sliding doors…

Furthermore, beyond sharing his opinion on the seven-time world champion’s life-changing decision, Valtteri Bottas also revealed a significant backstory from his own career, disclosing that he too had been close to a Ferrari switch between 2015 and 2016. At the time, Maranello was interested in him as a potential replacement for the other Finnish driver who was at Ferrari then: Kimi Raikkonen. A true sliding door moment that, today, the Mercedes reserve driver recalls with a smile but that could have dramatically altered the course of his career.

“It’s true, I was also close to Ferrari in the past, but many years have passed since then. But here we are, and in the end, nothing came of it.”