F1's continued growth around the world, and in the United States, is thanks in part to the Netflix documentary series. Drive to survive. Whatever the merits of that argument, one aspect of the series that has driven the growth of the sport globally is that it showcased the drivers themselves: athletes with great personalities outside the car and top-notch performances inside.
One of those unique personalities? Valtteri Bottas. The former F1 Grand Prix winner may have a tough 2024 ahead of him as Sauber is still looking to score its first points of the season, but that hasn't diminished his brilliance off the track. Bottas has become one of the most fascinating personalities in the sport, thanks to Sauber's incredible social media team and his own gregarious, humorous side that has exploded over the past few seasons.
Before the Italian Grand Prix SB Nation We met with the driver via email exchange to discuss the 2024 season, his future in F1 and his latest endeavor: partnering with WhistlePig on a new Ryder project.
2024 F1 season
The exchange began with a look at the outlook for the 2024 F1 season. It's been a tough year for Sauber, with the team still searching for its first points finish of the 2024 season.
This comes after last year, when the team, under the Alfa Romeo brand, finished ninth in the F1 Constructors' Championship with 16 points, 10 of which were scored by Bottas.
“Obviously the F1 season has been tough so far,” Bottas explained, “but we're working hard as a team to stay united and get things in order and with new leadership within the team, the effects of which will become apparent in the coming months. We're not resting, we're working hard to get better.”
Sauber is due to become Audi's works team in 2026 and ahead of that transition some new management appointments have been made, including the appointment of former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as the new chief operating officer and chief technical officer.
But that's for the future. What can Sauber do at the end of this season?
“The expectation is to keep improving race by race for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season,” the Sauber driver said. “I want to perform at my best every race so it's frustrating when I don't get the results I feel I deserve. The team works hard and we want to get results that reward that effort.”
Talking spirit with Valtteri Bottas
The conversation turned to whiskey. For the second year in a row, WhistlePig has partnered with an F1 team to produce a limited-edition whiskey. Last year, WhistlePig produced the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel, a high-lye whiskey with an ABV of 96.77, chosen by Bottas and teammate Zhou Guanyu. In honour of Zhou being the first Chinese F1 driver, last year's edition was “finished with lychee and oolong tea.”
This year's WhistlePig Piggyback Rye: Stakes F1 Team Single BarrelLeaning towards another of Bottas' spirits, His O/\TH GinThis year's Piggyback Rye is finished in O/\TH gin barrels.
“Rye and gin are an unexpected combination, but a powerful team,” explains Bottas. “My OΛTH Gin is vacuum distilled with oats and apple peels, and what better flavors to pair with them than cinnamon and spice, so WhistlePig ages its PiggyBack 100% rye in barrels seasoned with my OΛTH Gin to blend the best flavors of New England with the perfect pine aroma.” Finnish.”
Want to know what to expect from this latest incarnation? Bottas has it covered: “Fans will experience red apples, the soft scent of resinous spruce tips, cinnamon and subtle floral notes like honeysuckle and lavender,” explained the Sauber driver.
I'll get to Bottas's incredible social media presence later, but I posed the question in line with my “Ask Valtteri” series, an ongoing segment on Sauber's social media channels where drivers answer questions from fans.
How can fans best enjoy this version of WhistlePig?
“There's no wrong way to have fun…right? But I like to have a good old fashioned Whistle Pig Highball after the race while I do my new wheelspin,” Bottas said. “The fans can take their time sipping while I drive fast and enjoy myself.” Ride – See what I did there?
“But just like when making whiskey or gin, it’s also good to take it slow, and we’ve created our own educational series in case there’s any confusion about the difference between fast and slow. Bo Talk' Breaking it down.”
More amazing Bottas content. Speaking of which…
Coming Out of Your Shell
Sauber has struggled on the track this season but has been overwhelmingly dominant off it. F1 teams have great social media practices and in a sport that attracts many bright and creative minds, Sauber is at the top of their game. Some of the team's videos this season have been fantastic, such as this one of Bottas “protecting” Zhou from a flying water bottle.
Or this video from the Italian Grand Prix shows the team spotting a Bottas lookalike at the venue and bringing him to meet the driver.
And as you can see, the above Bo Talk This is another example of the driver's incredible side.
I asked Bottas about his social media activity over the past two seasons, including last year's impressive charity calendar, and whether he thinks drivers are coming out of their shells a bit.
“Obviously I'm having a lot of fun, the calendar is unique to say the least and I've had loads of people asking if there will be a 2025 calendar, which has been a good laugh,” Bottas said. “I also have a partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey which allows me to combine my own ventures outside of racing with OΛTH Gin with brands that I'm excited to partner with and create a unique product.”
Another notable piece of content from Bottas this season was this commercial for UberShare ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
I asked Bottas about filming the ad and how much of the script was his.
“I loved the UberShare advert as it showed my love for Australia and my personality.
“There may have been some improvisation.”
Valtteri's F1 future
Fans love to see Bottas on track, but the question remains: will he still be on the grid next year? Sauber confirmed before the Miami Grand Prix that Nico Hulkenberg will be one of their drivers next season, but have not announced who will be racing alongside the veteran driver next year.
Bottas is one of a handful of drivers rumoured to be in the second seat at Sauber, but nothing is set in stone yet. We asked Bottas if he had any news to share or when his faithful fans might find out about his plans.
“We're still working on it,” Bottas said. “We're making a little bit of progress, but that's all I can say for now. We've had good discussions that will continue in the next few days, and that's all I can say. In any case, it'll all be fine.”
However, fans can expect to see Bottas take to the track in the near future.
At the upcoming World Gravel Championships.
His driving partner, Tiffany Cromwell, is one of the best cyclists on the planet, and in recent years Bottas has also switched to Lycra and become a top-tier gravel cyclist who races when he's not driving an F1 car.
This year's F1 schedule means that the break between races overlaps with the World Gravel Championship, giving Bottas a chance to compete. Readers On threadOne wondered whether the schedule would fit in for Bottas to don Lycra again.
“Well, you might see me in Lycra in Belgium so follow me,” Bottas said. “I'm going to do my best and enjoy the event. I set myself a target last year to compete in the World Gravel Championship in my age group so I'm going to do my best to have fun.”
The “joy” of being a racing driver
The conversation ended with a discussion about Bottas' actual day-to-day job: being a race car driver.
Inspired by the amazing “Dirty Side of the Truck” podcast thread, What was the first thing I asked Bottas? The type of course he considers the toughest: High speed, high powered trucks or more technically demanding.
The answer? Both.
“Every track is difficult when you're competing with the best drivers,” Bottas said. “There are 19 other best drivers in the world, so they make every track difficult.”
As Bottas went on to explain, Monaco is certainly a difficult track, but then there's the Singapore Grand Prix, which will pose another challenge.
“You're right, some tracks, like Monaco, are a little less forgiving and you have to be precise around each corner, and then there are tracks like Singapore where the temperatures are incredibly high,” Bottas continued. “In these conditions you need mental strength to get to the finish line.”
Finally, I posed the question I've asked every driver I've ever been lucky enough to speak to: “What is the most difficult part of your job? And what do you wish you knew about being a race car driver?”
His answer was as perfect as expected.
“There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, it's not just about turning up, jumping in the car, going out on the track and driving fast,” Bottas said. “It's physically demanding training that you have to do, which I enjoy a lot, and there are countless meetings and strategy sessions and different obligations that have to be fulfilled while the team is working on the car to get it race ready each week.”
“It's a complex sport and profession, but there's also a lot of joy.”
