Career Timeline of Valtteri Bottas: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Valtteri Bottas, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Valtteri Bottas is a Finnish Formula One driver currently racing for Cadillac. He achieved runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship twice, in 2019 and 2020, while driving for Mercedes. Throughout his 12 seasons in Formula One, Bottas has secured 10 Grand Prix victories, marking him as a successful and prominent figure in the sport.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2003: Williams's first front-row lockout since 2003 German Grand Prix

In 2014, at the Austrian Grand Prix, Bottas qualified second behind teammate Massa, his then-best grid position in Formula One and Williams's first front-row lockout since the 2003 German Grand Prix.

2003: Williams's best result since 2003

The 2014 season secured Williams third place in the World Constructors' Championship, the team's best result since 2003.

2005: Williams's first double-podium since 2005 Monaco Grand Prix

In 2014, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bottas finished third behind Massa, marking Williams's first double-podium since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix.

2006: Filipe Albuquerque won both NEC and Eurocup

In 2006, Filipe Albuquerque won both the NEC and Eurocup in the same season.

2007: Progressed to junior formulae

In 2007, Valtteri Bottas progressed to junior formulae in his racing career.

2008: Won Formula Renault Eurocup and Northern European Cup

In 2008, Valtteri Bottas won both the Formula Renault Eurocup and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup, mirroring Filipe Albuquerque's achievement in 2006.

2008: Won Formula Renault NEC and Eurocup

In 2008, Valtteri Bottas won his first championship at the Formula Renault NEC and also won the Formula Renault Eurocup, beating Daniel Ricciardo by three points. Both achievements were with Motopark.

June 2009: Won 2009 Masters of Formula 3

In June 2009, Valtteri Bottas won the 2009 Masters of Formula 3, also claiming the pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race.

2009: Won Masters of Formula 3

In 2009, Valtteri Bottas won the Masters of Formula 3 with ART.

January 2010: Signed as official Formula One test driver for Williams

In January 2010, Valtteri Bottas was signed as the official Formula One test driver for the Williams team.

2010: Won F3 Masters title for the second time

In 2010, Valtteri Bottas won the F3 Masters title for the second time, becoming the first driver to achieve this.

2010: Won Masters of Formula 3 for the second time

In 2010, Valtteri Bottas won the Masters of Formula 3 for the second consecutive time with ART, becoming the first driver to achieve this feat.

2011: Continued as test driver, first full test

In 2011, Valtteri Bottas continued as the test driver for Williams and took part in his first full test in November at Yas Marina Circuit.

November 2012: Replaced Bruno Senna, full-time Williams driver

In November 2012, Valtteri Bottas replaced Bruno Senna and partnered Pastor Maldonado as a full-time Williams race driver for the 2013 season.

2012: Expanded Role, Friday Practice Sessions

In 2012, Valtteri Bottas's role as a test driver for Williams was expanded after his GP3 Series victory. He participated in fifteen Friday practice sessions, making his Grand Prix weekend debut at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

2012: First Mercedes driver to finish a season without a win since Michael Schumacher in 2012

In 2018, Bottas became the first Mercedes driver to finish a season without a win since Michael Schumacher in 2012.

2012: Hinwil-based team's best result since also finishing sixth in 2012

Valtteri Bottas ended the 2022 season 10th in the World Drivers' Championship, scoring 49 points to teammate Zhou's six points and helping Alfa Romeo achieve sixth place in the World Constructors' Championship, the Hinwil-based team's best result since also finishing sixth in 2012.

2013: Formula One Debut, First Points

In 2013, Valtteri Bottas made his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, qualified third at the Canadian Grand Prix, and scored his first Formula One points at the United States Grand Prix.

2013: Signed for Williams, Formula One debut

In 2013, Valtteri Bottas signed for Williams to partner Pastor Maldonado, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

September 2014: Retained drives with Williams

In September 2014, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were announced to retain their drives with Williams for the 2015 season.

2014: First Podium, Multiple Podium Finishes

In 2014, Valtteri Bottas achieved his first podium at the Austrian Grand Prix, finishing third. He secured several podium finishes throughout the year including second places at the British and German Grand Prix.

2014: Finished fourth in the championship, Maiden Podium

In 2014, Valtteri Bottas finished fourth in the championship and achieved his maiden career podium at the Austrian Grand Prix.

2014: Retained by Williams, Gearbox Penalty, Tyre Puncture

In 2014, Valtteri Bottas was retained by Williams and partnered with Felipe Massa. At the Australian Grand Prix, he started fifteenth due to a gearbox change penalty and suffered a tyre puncture during the race but recovered to finish fifth.

2014: Fourth in the World Drivers' Championship

The 2014 season concluded with Valtteri Bottas securing fourth place in the World Drivers' Championship, surpassing notable drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

2015: Back Injury, Podium at Canadian Grand Prix

In 2015, Valtteri Bottas suffered a back injury at the Australian Grand Prix and secured a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

November 2016: Initial Announcement for 2017 Williams Lineup

In November 2016, Williams announced that Valtteri Bottas would remain with the team for a fifth year, alongside Lance Stroll, for the 2017 season.

2016: Gearbox Penalty, Collision with Hamilton, Podium at Canadian Grand Prix

In 2016, Valtteri Bottas faced a gearbox penalty at the Australian Grand Prix, had a collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and achieved a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

January 2017: Signed with Mercedes

In January 2017, following Nico Rosberg's retirement, Mercedes announced that they had signed Valtteri Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton. Williams allowed Bottas to leave, not wanting to impede his chances with a championship-contending team.

September 2017: Mercedes Announces Bottas to Remain for 2018 Season

In September 2017, Mercedes announced that Valtteri Bottas would remain with the team for the 2018 season.

2017: Bottas launches Valtteri Bottas Duathlon

In 2017, Bottas launched the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon, an annual sporting event held in Finland to raise money for charity.

2017: Signed for Mercedes, Maiden Pole and Win

In 2017, Valtteri Bottas signed for Mercedes, replacing Nico Rosberg, and partnered Lewis Hamilton. He secured his maiden pole position in Bahrain and his first win in Russia.

July 2018: Contract Extension with Mercedes

In July 2018, Valtteri Bottas signed a contract extension with Mercedes for the 2019 season with an option for 2020, continuing alongside Hamilton.

2018: Worst Season in Formula One

In 2018, Valtteri Bottas had his worst season in Formula One, finishing without a win and setting a record for the most second-place finishes (seven) in a season without a win. He finished fifth overall in the World Drivers' Championship with 247 points. He almost retired from the sport at the end of 2018.

2018: 2018 Season Performances

In 2018, Valtteri Bottas started 15th at the Australian Grand Prix after crashing in qualifying and taking a gearbox penalty, recovering to eighth place. He qualified third at the Bahrain and Chinese Grand Prix, leading the latter before being overtaken. He led the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with two laps remaining but retired due to a puncture. He also had second-place finishes at the Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix.

January 2019: Bottas takes part in the Arctic Rally

In January 2019, Bottas participated in the Arctic Rally, securing a stage win and finishing fifth overall.

December 2019: Bottas wins Rallycircuit Côte d'Azur

In December 2019, Bottas won the Paul Ricard-based Rallycircuit Côte d'Azur.

2019: Runner-up in World Championship

In 2019, Valtteri Bottas finished as runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship with Mercedes.

2019: Runner-up to Hamilton

In 2019, Valtteri Bottas finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 season.

2019: Second Place in World Drivers' Championship

In 2019, Valtteri Bottas finished second in the World Drivers' Championship with 326 points. He had four wins, fifteen podium finishes, five pole positions and three fastest laps, marking it as his most successful year at Mercedes.

2019: Grand Prix Victory and Championship Lead

In 2019, Valtteri Bottas won the Australian Grand Prix and exclaimed "to whom it may concern, fuck you" over the radio. He finished second at the Bahrain Grand Prix and took pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix. He also secured a victory from pole at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading the championship by one point over Hamilton.

2019: One-Year Contract Extension Agreed

Valtteri Bottas agreed to a one-year extension to his contract with Mercedes during the 2019 season and continued driving at Mercedes alongside Hamilton for 2020.

October 2020: Bottas partakes in Extreme E test

In October 2020, Bottas participated in an Extreme E test alongside Jean-Éric Vergne and Sébastien Loeb.

2020: Runner-up to Hamilton again

In 2020, Valtteri Bottas again finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 season.

2020: Runner-up in World Championship

In 2020, Valtteri Bottas finished as runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship with Mercedes for the second consecutive year.

2020: 2020 Season Performances

In 2020, Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time in pre-season testing. He took pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix and won the race. He was investigated for breaching COVID-19 safety protocols but was cleared. He finished second at the Styrian Grand Prix. He qualified second and finished third at the Hungarian Grand Prix, losing the championship lead. A tyre failure at the British Grand Prix resulted in an 11th-place finish. Tyre issues at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix demoted him to third in the Drivers' Championship.

January 2021: Bottas competes in Arctic Lapland Rally

In January 2021, Bottas competed in his third Arctic Lapland Rally. He achieved a class podium and finished sixth overall.

March 2021: Bottas becomes co-owner of Lahti Pelicans

In March 2021, Bottas became a co-owner of the Lahti Pelicans ice hockey team in Finland's Liiga, acquiring a 10 percent stake.

2021: Final win for Mercedes

In 2021, Valtteri Bottas achieved his final win for Mercedes at the Turkish Grand Prix.

2021: 2021 Season Performances

In 2021, Valtteri Bottas extended his contract with Mercedes. He finished third at the Bahrain and Spanish Grand Prix. He was involved in a collision with George Russell at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, a sensor issue ended his pursuit of second place. A pit stop failure at the Monaco Grand Prix forced him to retire. He finished 12th at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to a lack of pace.

April 2022: Bottas launches Oath Gin

In April 2022, Bottas, in partnership with his girlfriend Cromwell, launched Oath, a premium gin "embodying our family heritages from Australia and Finland".

May 2022: Bottas Nude Photo Raises Money for Charity

In May 2022, in collaboration with photographer Paul Ripke, over 5,000 copies of a photo of Bottas naked in an Aspen stream were sold, raising over €50,000 for charity.

2022: Bottas describes move to team as a "mistake"

In 2022, Bottas ended the season 22nd in the World Drivers' Championship and failed to score points. Reflecting on his three-year tenure, he described his 2022 move to the team as a "mistake", influenced by Frédéric Vasseur's presence, and regretted not leaving when Vasseur moved to Ferrari.

2022: Bottas withdraws from Race of Champions debut

In 2022, Bottas was scheduled to make his Race of Champions debut, partnering with Mika Häkkinen, but he withdrew from the event at the last minute.

2022: 2022 Season Performances

In 2022, Valtteri Bottas finished ninth at the Monaco Grand Prix and retired from ninth place at the British Grand Prix with a gearbox issue. He also retired at the Hungarian, Belgian and Dutch Grands Prix. He retired at the United States Grand Prix. He finished tenth at the Mexico City Grand Prix and ninth at the São Paulo Grand Prix.

2022: Joins Alfa Romeo

In 2022, Valtteri Bottas joined Alfa Romeo on a multi-year deal, partnering with Zhou Guanyu. He finished sixth at the Bahrain Grand Prix but retired at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to a cooling issue. He finished eighth at the Australian Grand Prix. A target of a top-five finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was achieved. He finished fifth at the Miami Grand Prix. He qualified seventh at the Spanish Grand Prix and ran as high as fourth in the race, but dropped to sixth as his tires degraded.

2022: Alfa Romeo's Best Result Since 2012

Valtteri Bottas ended the 2022 season 10th in the World Drivers' Championship, helping Alfa Romeo achieve sixth place in the World Constructors' Championship, the team's best result since 2012. He described his season as "probably the most enjoyable so far".

2023: Bottas creates nude calendar for Movember

In 2023, Bottas collaborated with Paul Ripke to create a nude calendar, titled BOTTASS 2024, raising $150,000 for Movember, a men's health organization.

2023: Bottas competes at the Race of Champions

In 2023, Bottas competed at the Race of Champions alongside Mika Häkkinen. They represented Finland in the Nations Cup but were knocked out, and Bottas was eliminated by Tom Kristensen in the Champion of Champions tournament.

2023: 2023 Season Performances

In 2023, Valtteri Bottas continued driving for Alfa Romeo. He finished eighth at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Damage from debris produced an 18th-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He finished 11th at the Australian Grand Prix. His first points since Bahrain came at the Canadian Grand Prix. His car broke down in qualifying at the British Grand Prix. After the race, Bottas reflected "we're not meeting the targets we've set ourselves".

2023: Retained Alfa Romeo seat

In 2023, Valtteri Bottas retained his seat with Alfa Romeo for his campaign.

2023: Bottas collaborates with ST. ALi and works as barista

In 2023, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Bottas announced a collaboration with Melbourne-based coffeehouse chain ST. ALi and worked a shift as a barista at one of their locations.

December 2024: Bottas Re-joins Mercedes as Reserve Driver

In December 2024, Bottas was announced to be re-joining Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025, describing it as "like coming back home" with the goal of returning to a full-time seat in 2026.

2024: Bottas races in UCI Gravel World Championships

In 2024, Bottas raced in the men's 35–39 age category race at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, finishing 134th. He had qualified after finishing sixth in his age group at the Swartberg 100 gravel race in South Africa in April.

2024: Bottas BOTTASS 2024 Nude Calendar

In 2024, Bottas raised $150,000 for Movember from his BOTTASS 2024 nude calendar, after working with Ripke in 2023 to create it.

2024: 2024 Season Performances

In 2024, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou were retained as the team rebranded to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. He qualified 16th at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pit stop issues led Bottas to comment that the team's poor start to the season "needs to be a wake-up call". He retired from the Chinese Grand Prix with an engine failure.

2024: Non-scoring Season, Reserve Driver

In 2024, after a non-scoring season at the re-branded Sauber, Valtteri Bottas returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver.

August 2025: Bottas Signs with Cadillac

In August 2025, Cadillac announced that Bottas had signed for their debut 2026 campaign alongside Sergio Pérez. Bottas described being part of a new project as "incredibly special".

2025: Bottas to be reserve driver for mercedes

In 2025, Bottas was announced to be re-joining Mercedes as a reserve driver. He was offered an IndyCar Series seat, but he rejected the offer due to adapting to a new category after twelve years in Formula One.

2025: Sauber signs Nico Hülkenberg and Bottas considers options

In 2025, Bottas was in talks with Audi ahead of their Sauber team takeover, but Sauber signed Nico Hülkenberg for 2025. Bottas was "confident" of finding a seat, considering his options as Audi delayed deciding on a second driver, and other teams' options narrowed.

2026: Bottas aims to return to a full-time seat

In 2026, Bottas stated his goal to return to a full-time seat, after it was announced in December 2024 that he was re-joining Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025.

2026: Bottas to race for Cadillac

In 2026, Bottas will be racing for Cadillac, after it was announced in August 2025 that he had signed for their debut campaign alongside Sergio Pérez.