Valtteri Bottas has shown a much more relaxed version of himself since joining Alfa Romeo from Mercedes in 2022, making his style and personality shine in an unique way – but he believes that Formula 1’s business model doesn’t allow younger drivers to show their real personality.
Photo Credit: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake
The Finn arrived in Melbourne for the media day of the 2023 Australian GP wearing a tank top and flipflops, showing remarkable calmness and peace within himself and his style. This is a stark contrast to some of his previous years in the sport, particularly at Williams and Mercedes, when he was more contained to what he described as a “standard” media-trained behaviour.
Speaking to the media, Bottas explained how he wouldn’t have been so extravagant with his style earlier in his career, and how he changed his approach to not take himself “too seriously” and avoid the constraints of the system nowadays:
“As a rookie I would have not come to the paddock with a tank top and flipflops, not even a few years back,” he admitted. “Now it’s a bit easier. I don’t take myself too seriously. Definitely times have changed but it is [part of] the sport when you’re a rookie you’ve gone through the system and you’re almost educated how to behave and so on.
“But then it seems there comes at some point in time when you say: “Deal with it.”
Whilst he has now found his happy place and is able to fully be himself, the Alfa Romeo driver is aware that Formula 1’s business model continues to make it difficult – particularly for young drivers – to show their real personalities on the paddock, something almost inevitable due to the “bigmoney” involved in the sport:
“It is tricky getting to Formula 1,” the Finn said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to see the real personalities on track.
“Obviously, once you get to know the drivers better outside the track then you can really see their personality. But the way you do the interviews, the way you behave with sponsors, it’s usually pretty standard.
“Over the last 10 years there were some personalities like Daniel Ricciardo who really came up showing his personality. I think it’s good to see but it is how it is because it’s serious business and there’s big companies and big money involved.”
His former Mercedes team-mate, Lewis Hamilton told media in Melbourne that he is happy to see Bottas “flourish” off-track in the last couple of years and finding happiness and peace in himself:
“It’s great. I just saw Valtteri in flip flops just now, with his tan lines around his socks,” he said. “It’s great to see him flourish, and feeling more and more a part of himself, and knowing exactly where he wants to go.
“I think, for everyone, it’s just the whole discovery process, of compartmentalising and just making space for happiness away from the track.”
