It only took five races in the new Formula 1 season before, according to initial media reports, Valtteri Bottas is already on the verge of being eliminated from Formula 1 newcomer Cadillac. After his employer had already “decisively rejected” such speculations, the Finn also made it very clear on the sidelines of the race weekend in Monaco.
“It’s not the first time that I’ve been confronted with such rumors. It’s a shame that someone can just make up complete bullshit, but that’s normal in this sport,” said the veteran angrily in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix. According to his own statement, the old master is not at all worried about his job.
Bottas knows exactly about his situation, and the racing team also “knows my situation,” explained the 36-year-old, who, like his Cadillac team-mate Sergio Perez, has not yet been able to collect any championship points for the eleventh F1 team. However, the former Mercedes driver mostly lost the internal duels with the Mexican, so there was already speculation about his replacement.
Formula 1: Bottas ignores rumors about F1’s exit
According to Sky Italia, Cadillac has already decided on a successor to Bottas. Accordingly, replacement driver Colton Herta could be promoted to the team. The US team had already announced the previous week that this report was not true. Bottas went one better on Thursday before the Monaco GP.
He said he believes that “headlines and clicks” are behind these reports, and he took a clear dig at the media. He read the rumors for the first time over his morning coffee and laughed about them and, with all his experience, didn’t waste any more time taking them too seriously: “Now it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
At the last Grand Prix in Canada, Valtteri Bottas didn’t get past 16th place, and teammate Sergio Perez even retired early. After the race in Monaco, Formula 1 continues without a major break in Spain, Austria, England, Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, Italy and again in Spain.