“I am open to anything,” Valtteri Bottas wants to explore every racing championship after his F1 retirement

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas is approaching the end of his tenure in the premier motorsport competition. Having competed in Formula One for almost a decade, Bottas has been subject to inquiries about his future in the sport, given that the average driver’s career in the discipline is limited to 36 years. Notwithstanding his age, the Finnish driver is not contemplating retirement from racing and is exploring alternative avenues beyond Formula One.

Bottas, at 33 years of age, has no intention of abandoning his racing aspirations and is presently evaluating diverse possibilities for a post-Formula One vocation. “I’m open to anything,” Bottas said when asked about his post-retirement plans. “I love driving, and I think there’s many options after my Formula 1 career. I haven’t decided on one thing, so I’m open to anything.”

After transitioning from Mercedes F1 to the Alfa Romeo team, Valtteri Bottas has found himself in a more relaxed and enjoyable environment. During his stint at Mercedes, Bottas was subjected to the pressure of performing at a high level under a series of one-year contracts that often neared their expiration date. Despite winning a decent fight against his teammate Lewis Hamilton, he always played a secondary role to the British driver.

In his first year with Alfa Romeo, Bottas has relished the opportunity to lead a team for the first time in his career. He contributed significantly to the team’s solid 6th-place finish in the constructors’ championship. The Finnish driver is open to exploring different forms of racing and has a special connection to Australian heritage, thanks to his partner Tiffany Cromwell.

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Valtteri Bottas eyes exciting opportunities in Supercars and beyond

Bottas has shown interest in Supercars, the Australian Touring Cars since he drove the 2016 Bathurst 1000-winning VF Commodore at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival in March. He said that driving a Supercar had long been an ambition and was quick to add that he could end up in any number of categories. “Of course,” Bottas said when asked about his thoughts on Supercars. “Not yet. I’ll just follow the passion and see where I end up.”

Bottas has not ruled out any single racing category following his future F1 exit. When questioned about recent NASCAR starts for Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, he said, “Could do Supercars, could do IndyCar, could do NASCAR.” He was then asked about the World Endurance Championship and replied, “Could do WEC, could do rally, could do go-karts.”

Bottas has suggested that a Supercars team wanting him would face stiff competition from more lucrative categories like IndyCar, which align better with his skills. Though impressed by Chip Ganassi’s interest in him joining his IndyCar team, Bottas still sees a future in F1. He performed well in the Bathurst winner, but recent comments suggest Supercars may face tough competition from more profitable categories.

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