Toto Wolff Accepts Mercedes Letting Down Valtteri Bottas Amid Contract Speculation


Toto Wolff Accepts Mercedes Letting Down Valtteri Bottas Amid Contract Speculation

Toto Wolff and Valtteri Bottas

Toto Wolff has hailed the role Valtteri Bottas has played in Mercedes’ success in recent years while admitting that the UK-based outfit could have handled his race tactics better. Bottas has tipped to lose his drive for the 2022 season to George Russell. 

George Russell is currently on loan at Williams and raced for Mercedes throughout his junior career. Valtteri Bottas has been part of the Mercedes senior team since 2017 when he replaced Nico Rosberg after the German’s shock retirement. 

What Was Opinionated by Toto Wolff on Valtteri Bottas? 

Toto Wolff on Valtteri Bottas
Toto Wolff and Valtteri Bottas

Speaking to GPFans Global, Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff was asked about Bottas future and whether the Finn’s opportunity with the team had gone. 

FS Video

Toto Wolff responded defensively, arguing that Bottas had performed admirably given the difficult circumstances that come with racing next to someone of Lewis Hamilton’s success. He also acknowledged that the team had on occasion failed Bottas with poor in-race decision making. 

Toto Wolff on Valtteri Bottas
Toto Wolff and Valtteri Bottas

Wolff said, “I think that’s too harsh. He has also had a lot of bad luck when I think about Monaco where he should have finished second on the road, and we let him down. It’s very harsh. And if your team-mate is a seven-time world champion, a 100-grand prix winner, obviously, that will be difficult.” 

He added, “He is a great team player, he has won multiple grand prix, has been on call all the time, 53 podium appearances, and that is a solid, very important pillar for us as a team that needs to be considered.” 

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas

Toto Wolff was then questioned about what Russell could offer the team and what the 23-year-old could learn driving alongside a serial winner like Hamilton and what Mercedes could learn from seeing him in the role. 

Also Read: “Sebastian Vettel Doesn’t Have the Speed to Match Lando Norris, But…

Also Read: Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen relationship difficult to repair: Helmut Marko