Valtteri Bottas left Mercedes at the end of 2021, but the Finn is still – or rather: again – in a business relationship with team boss Toto Wolff. Today’s Alfa Romeo driver confirmed this in an interview with the Formula 1 podcast “Beyond the Grid”.
“He was no longer my manager when I was at Mercedes, obviously. For various reasons, not to receive commissions and the like. That’s how it works,” says Bottas. “But yes, now he is part of my management team again.”
Wolff’s attention was first drawn to him in the winter of 2007/08 when Timo Rumpfkeil, head of the Motopark Academy team, wanted to hire a young Finn named Valtteri Bottas for Formula Renault. Rumpfkeil asked Wolff to take over its management. But he refused.
Then Bottas hit like a grenade in the first races, and Rumpfkeil reported this to Wolff. At least he was curious now. According to legend, Bottas then asked to contact Wolff again. Not because he had him as a manager, but because he at least wanted to hear his opinion.
So one day Bottas stood alone in front of Wolff’s door in snow and ice and introduced himself. That made an impression – and the Austrian, who was still active in the DTM as a shareholder of HWA and not yet engaged at Williams, recommended the company of Didier Coton, Willi Dörflinger and Mika Häkkinen (Aces Management) to Bottas for his support.
Coton, Dörflinger and Häkkinen are business partners of Wolff. When Bottas came to Mercedes from Williams at the end of 2016, Wolff had to withdraw from the Finn’s management. In terms of Daimler compliance, it would not have been possible to draw a commission from the salary that he himself had a say in as Mercedes team boss.
But now that Bottas is driving for another team, the old relationship has been restored. However, the two no longer have much contact. But: “I’ve known him for a very, very long time. Of course we chat every now and then,” says Bottas.
“He seems a bit stressed to me at the moment. I can understand that because all he cares about is winning and nothing else. Everything else is not good enough. I’m sure he’s pushing everyone and looking for the limit to come back to get to the top. Toto is a very, very busy man. But still a good friend,” said the Alfa Romeo driver.