176 replies to this topic

[romaincrouton]

https://www.formula1...ceMcHs3e4S.html

[DS27]

Wow - didn't see that coming.  

Edited by DS27, 06 September 2021 - 12:47.

[TheFish]

Must be difficult for a driver like him to accept that he's not the best around. Been a tough few years for him. Hopefully he is happy at Alfa (and they build a better car next year)

[messy]

He might not be a future World Champion, but Bottas has done well on balance and deserves to carry on at a high level for a good few years yet. Over to Alfa to see what they can give him for 2022. If they're as uncompetitive as they have been in 20/21 then it'll be a sad career fizzle-out, he deserves better. 

[PayasYouRace]

Five years at the top team is pretty good going for anyone and he’s got a few wins out of it too.

Alfa is pretty much the best available driver for him at the moment. Hopefully he’ll bring some strong motivation and some Mercedes methodology to the team. I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.

[GoldenColt]

Will be interesting to see how he performs at a new outfit and in different circumstances. 

[romaincrouton]

Wow - didn't see that coming.

Ha yea, pretty inevitable. I don't think there were any circumstances where he could have kept his seat.

[gpking]

Can see Bottas struggling in the midfield with his weak starts,tyre management,race pace and terrible wet weather skills.

He's not suited for the midfield. Not a good move imo.

[romaincrouton]

A few trophies, very fast qualifier but very rarely was able to control the race on Sundays. It will be interesting to see him take on a leading role in q new team. I think he will shine against Giovinazzi. Good move by Alfa really.

[Singularity]

I'm not excited. Bottas could not even battle the midfield cars in a Mercedes. 

[Ali623]

Can see Bottas struggling in the midfield with his weak starts,tyre management,race pace and terrible wet weather skills.

He's not suited for the midfield. Not a good move imo.

 

He was good at Williams.

[Singularity]

...but... now he has a contract and no reason to give fastest laps to HAM

[Risil]

Bottas's tenure at Merc has been kind of disappointing but I think it's the last couple of years that the team lost confidence in him. This year in particular has been a Ben Spies in 2012 of a season, if you know your recent-ish MotoGP lore. He's obviously overmatched by his teammate and it's pretty obvious the management no longer wants him. But, there were times that he beat Lewis in a fair fight and he could be justifiably proud of them.

I also get the feeling that he was a temporary, convenient replacement (Rosberg's retirement left the team in the lurch) who ended up staying longer than anyone thought he would. Esteban Ocon probably wonders what might have been.

If he can drive the Alfa like he drove the (midfield) Williams he'll do alright.

[gpking]

He was good at Williams.

I feel like that version of Bottas is gone.

[Astandahl]

He was good at Williams.

He was good in qualifying and average in the races just like with Mercedes. The difference is that his teammate was Massa at the end of his career.

Edited by Astandahl, 06 September 2021 - 13:32.

[Timstr11]

Good for him. I'm sure he will do well, relatively speaking. 

It's not easy to go up against Hamilton if you're not at the top of the game.

He will be in a different mindset as the lead driver and as he brings his learnings to AR.

[ARTGP]

I'm very curious about how he gets on. It's tough to be Lewis Hamilton's teammate. It must be down right depressing. I wonder if a mental weight will be lifted.

[F1matt]

I can’t understand why drivers want a move like this, going from the quickest car on the grid to possibly the slowest, I am not sure what his motivation will be as he is unlikely to prove the doubters wrong and he isn’t going to get another shot at a top team. He obviously doesn’t fancy Indycar or the WEC so Alfa must be just topping up his bank account.

[P123]

I can’t understand why drivers want a move like this, going from the quickest car on the grid to possibly the slowest, I am not sure what his motivation will be as he is unlikely to prove the doubters wrong and he isn’t going to get another shot at a top team. He obviously doesn’t fancy Indycar or the WEC so Alfa must be just topping up his bank account.

 

Some drivers like to remain in the sport.  If they are wanted, why not?  Kimi came back.  Alonso came back.  DC moved from McLaren to Red Bull back in the day, which was a similar downward step at the time.

[MurMur80]

Getting kind of pissed, that Toto said he deserved 2022 Merc seat after the announcement he is going to Alfa. STFU. No one believes you. Just say good luck and stop that BS. 

[FullOppositeLock]

Good riddance. Glad the bloke is no longer going to be in a top team seat. Plenty quick over one lap and servicable over a race distance, but lacks any kind of aggression or race craft. Will be interesting to see if he can reinvent himself in a midfield to backmarker team.

 

So... Roscoe to be announced tomorrow then?

[IceSpeed]

Getting kind of pissed, that Toto said he deserved 2022 Merc seat after the announcement he is going to Alfa. STFU. No one believes you. Just say good luck and stop that BS.

I’m wondering if there were outside pressures to have Russel in that seat. I’m sure Lewis would have wanted Bottas (that’s clear) and Toto wants to keep Lewis happy. If the decision was purely between Lewis/Toto it might have been Bottas in 2022 but too many other factors to consider and deal with that made Russel the inevitable choice IMO.

Edited by IceSpeed, 06 September 2021 - 13:50.

[Izzyeviel]

Getting kind of pissed, that Toto said he deserved 2022 Merc seat after the announcement he is going to Alfa. STFU. No one believes you. Just say good luck and stop that BS. 

 

Well he does, he's still quick, reliable, and a team player. If Russell wasn't waiting in the wings, he'd be there for the next few seasons.

[DeKnyff]

I can’t understand why drivers want a move like this, going from the quickest car on the grid to possibly the slowest, I am not sure what his motivation will be as he is unlikely to prove the doubters wrong and he isn’t going to get another shot at a top team. He obviously doesn’t fancy Indycar or the WEC so Alfa must be just topping up his bank account.

 

Well, topping your bank account is already a good reason. No shame in that, we all appreciate earning money.

 

Other than this, maybe he can keep alive the delusion that if he performs very well, he could come back to a top team (which of course, won't happen).

[keeppari]

I don't know what to make out of Bottas. On the rare occasion earlier in his Merc career, it seemed that he could give even Hamilton a decent run for his money. On the other hand, he seems really poorly rated by both the fans and I guess the paddock as well if a multi-year deal with Alfa was the best option.

Although clearly not at Hamilton's level over a season, he never seemed as bad as Gasly, Albon or Perez but far worse than Ricciardo in comparison with Max at Red Bull. Out of those guys, Gasly currently looks like he should be driving something decidedly better than an AT and Ricciardo is a waste of seat at McLaren.

The lack of interest towards him by the midfield teams baffles the most. Either being second to the GOAT is really bad optics or the opinion is that there are plenty of drivers on the grid that could be closer or match Hamilton given the chance. Guess we'll see next year what GR and VB can manage in new environment.

[cpbell]

Five years at the top team is pretty good going for anyone and he’s got a few wins out of it too.

Alfa is pretty much the best available driver for him at the moment. Hopefully he’ll bring some strong motivation and some Mercedes methodology to the team. I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.

Yes, he's not going to be the long-term answer at Mercedes, but he's won races, which some talented drivers have failed to do for various reasons, and I reckon he's been one of the best number 2 drivers to a multiple WDC since Rubens and Gerhard.

[cpbell]

Good riddance. Glad the bloke is no longer going to be in a top team seat. Plenty quick over one lap and servicable over a race distance, but lacks any kind of aggression or race craft. Will be interesting to see if he can reinvent himself in a midfield to backmarker team.

 

So... Roscoe to be announced tomorrow then?

Wow.  Harsh.

[Alfisti]

It will be interesting to see how he qualifies vs whoever his team mate is, as he is often very close to Lewis. Race pace though, in the tight midfield tyre wear management is critical, this may be his biggest challenge.

[Baddoer]

I don't understand. Was he fired from Mercedes? Can hardly believe someone will trade top seat to a backmarker.

[FullOppositeLock]

Wow.  Harsh.

 

I don't think so. He was lucky to get the seat in the first place, and he's lucky he lasted five years in the best team/car bar none. Many drivers of his ability can only dream of that.

 

I do concede as a second driver he has served Mercedes fairly effectively, but from an F1 fan's perspective his failure to put pressure on Lewis or even attempt to fight the cars around him has been very disappointing to see. Hopefully young George can bring some more entertainment to the table.

[keeppari]

I don't understand. Was he fired from Mercedes? Can hardly believe someone will trade top seat to a backmarker.

It's not like he is on a permanent employment contract with Mercedes. His contract ran out and Mercedes decided not to renew it.

[FirstnameLastname]

Hard for him to better Kimis performance this year. Big shoes to fill

[Anderis]

Can see Bottas struggling in the midfield with his weak starts,tyre management,race pace and terrible wet weather skills.

He's not suited for the midfield. Not a good move imo.

LOL, I knew someone was going to post something like that but Bottas got that Mercedes seat because of performing in the midfield in the first place. And if someone thinks he only got the Mercedes seat because of Rosberg's sudden retirement- yes, that was the case, but don't forget Mercedes had to buy him out of Williams- if they didn't think he was any good, why waste the money and not go for a free agent like Wehrlein, who was already a Mercedes afiliated driver with F1 experience?

 

He was good in qualifying and average in the races just like with Mercedes. The difference is that his teammate was Massa at the end of his career.

I don't think the drivers he will face driving for Alfa will be on average much better than Massa.

 

Saying that he was average in races is retrospection in context of his Mercedes performances. I don't recall many people at the time saying that Bottas was particularly struggling in races. He had some strong performances like holding Hamilton behind in German GP in 2014 despite 10 lap tyre disadvantage (not to mention the car disadvantage). I remember at the time, from a Williams fran perspective, I've always had more trust in Bottas than in Massa to deliver on a race day.
 

[KavB]

Good for him that he can stay in the sport.

 

The thing I found disappointing about his Mercedes stint was that his best season remains 2017, where he wasn't terribly far off Vettel and Hamilton until the end of the year. After that he just wasn't able to keep up with Hamilton (which would apply to most drivers in F1).

 

I don't think he can be too disappointed with his Merc career though as at least he had the machinery to win 4/5 titles, had a handful of wins and many podiums. That's a lot better than fighting at the back/midfield, which would have been the case had Rosberg not retired.

[danmills]

I would have liked to see him at a rejuvenated Williams with new regs. Best of luck to him, deserves to stay in F1.

[noikeee]

I don't understand. Was he fired from Mercedes? Can hardly believe someone will trade top seat to a backmarker.

 

We don't know. I wonder, has Mercedes signed a new, better, younger driver? Would could it be? 

Edited by noikeee, 06 September 2021 - 14:38.

[BobbyRicky]

I don't think so. He was lucky to get the seat in the first place, and he's lucky he lasted five years in the best team/car bar none. Many drivers of his ability can only dream of that.

 

I do concede as a second driver he has served Mercedes fairly effectively, but from an F1 fan's perspective his failure to put pressure on Lewis or even attempt to fight the cars around him has been very disappointing to see. Hopefully young George can bring some more entertainment to the table.

 

What was he even supposed to do? Dude got employed on pretty much yearly-contracts, and its quite clear he was brought in to be a #2 driver from the get go. I dont think i would have gone full Rosberg either if i were in his shoes. Now, granted, Bottas aint no Max/Leglerc/Ham-level driver, but he is pretty damn fast and proved to be just the number two-driver Merc needed.

Then there is the whole "be more aggressive"-part. Look at the reaction he gets on this forum for instance when he goes slightly off script, like in Barcelona: "OEEMgG hE HeLd LuwIs uPp!". And when he plays the 2nd-driver role to its fullest this forum goes "OEMgG BoAtAss nO AggGresSSion!". Dude just cant win.

 

I hope he does well at AlfaSauberAndrettiFerrariMercedes.

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

So who is gonna be the next Mercedes driver, I wonder?

[NewMrMe]

I think Mercedes are right to drop Bottas and that isn't anything against him. It is the situation they are in at the moment. If they wanted a good competent second driver, then he is that and it would have been right to retain him. However, Mercedes now need to be planing for post-Hamilton. Lewis could still win another title or two but at some point in the next few years he is either going to retire or go into decline.

 

If Mercedes think that Russell has the potential to be the lead driver after Hamilton they need to try him out in the second car. It is possible it causes friction if George challenges on a regular basis, but if he does, it is a sign he maybe could enough to take over as the number one. If he doesn't then Mercedes learn that Russell probably isn't the right driver and they have to look elsewhere.

 

Good luck to Valterri and hopefully his experience from Mercedes can help Alfa move up the grid.

[Nemo1965]

What if Bottas has a Pierre Gasly-likely revival at Alfa Romeo? Not that Mercedes will take him back. But it would not suprise me. 

[Diablobb81]

At least two years too late.

[AvranaKern]

What if Bottas has a Pierre Gasly-likely revival at Alfa Romeo? Not that Mercedes will take him back. But it would not suprise me.

I think a more apt comparison would be Perez. After the disappointment at McLaren, he increased his valur at Force India/Aston Martin, and now he's back with Red Bull. I think it's possible, but highly unlikely because Perez was still very young at McLaren.

[Risil]

I think a more apt comparison would be Perez. After the disappointment at McLaren, he increased his valur at Force India/Aston Martin, and now he's back with Red Bull. I think it's possible, but highly unlikely because Perez was still very young at McLaren.

 

Bottas has less to turn around, arguably, as he didn't exactly fail at Mercedes. All we really know for sure is that Lewis is faster. Well, Lewis is faster than everyone except possibly Max Verstappen.

[motorhead]

Well, it will be interesting to see Mercedes team harmony in the future. Probably Verstappen will be a winner in this change

[ARTGP]

What was he even supposed to do? Dude got employed on pretty much yearly-contracts, and its quite clear he was brought in to be a #2 driver from the get go. I dont think i would have gone full Rosberg either if i were in his shoes. Now, granted, Bottas aint no Max/Leglerc/Ham-level driver, but he is pretty damn fast and proved to be just the number two-driver Merc needed.
Then there is the whole "be more aggressive"-part. Look at the reaction he gets on this forum for instance when he goes slightly off script, like in Barcelona: "OEEMgG hE HeLd LuwIs uPp!". And when he plays the 2nd-driver role to its fullest this forum goes "OEMgG BoAtAss nO AggGresSSion!". Dude just cant win.

I hope he does well at AlfaSauberAndrettiFerrariMercedes.

Hamilton had a 1 year contract last year. Bottas had free reign in ‘17 to be Rosberg. Over time he showed he couldn’t.
.

[P123]

What if Bottas has a Pierre Gasly-likely revival at Alfa Romeo? Not that Mercedes will take him back. But it would not suprise me. 

 

He's never been quite as lost as Gasly was.  With the pressure off/ expectations lower, I'm sure perceptions will change thanks in part to the benefit of once again being an underdog.  His 4th and 5th place WDC positions with Williams have been long forgotten, but if he can tick off the points for Sauber/ Alfa then he can be content with that.  Much of the simmering online animosity towards him will also ease thanks to no longer being the teammate to the guy they all want to see beaten.

[F1matt]

Some drivers like to remain in the sport.  If they are wanted, why not?  Kimi came back.  Alonso came back.  DC moved from McLaren to Red Bull back in the day, which was a similar downward step at the time.

 

Kimi came back because he had to sit out the sport as Ferrari were still paying him, Alonso took on other challenges, both were world champions with a large fan base and had big commercial opportunities, DC moved to RB to help them move up the grid, they had a strong budget and Adrian Newey. Bottas has none of these qualities or opportunities, he is keeping the seat warm till Theo Pourchaire is ready.  

[Risil]

I thought Giovinazzi was keeping the seat warm till Theo Pourchaire is ready...

[Clatter]

I don't understand. Was he fired from Mercedes? Can hardly believe someone will trade top seat to a backmarker.

His contract was up,so not fired, just not re-signed.

Edited by Clatter, 06 September 2021 - 15:02.

[PayasYouRace]

I don't understand. Was he fired from Mercedes? Can hardly believe someone will trade top seat to a backmarker.

He wasn’t fired. His contract is just not being renewed.