Back in 2017, Valtteri Bottas arguably earned the biggest opportunity of his racing career, a contractual offer from the most successful hybrid-era F1 team, Mercedes AMG. However, that high-flying excitement did not last long, as Bottas then realized that the German outfit had entirely different plans for him; the kind of plans that would leave any driver out of confidence.

The Finnish driver never, in his five-year stint, received a multi-year deal from Mercedes. Instead, the one-year contract extension would only happen months prior to the start of a season. Mercedes’ lack of trust in Bottas was evident, and the pressure was consequently mounting on the 10-time Grand Prix winner.

And ultimately, Bottas found the courage to end his partnership with Mercedes and move to a much inferior yet historic racing team, Alfa Romeo Racing, owned by Sauber.

Now, amidst the impending season with the Swiss outfit, Bottas opened up about how he managed to fight through the five years at Mercedes despite constantly falling under immense pressure.

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What did Valtteri Bottas say?

As reported by Formula Passion, Bottas revealed that he had been using the sauna to refresh himself ahead of each race weekend for the past few years. “The sauna is a sacred place for me,” he said. “Where, in some cases, you also have a drink. This is done not so much to get rid of the pressure as to clear your head and relax for the next race weekend.

“.I must say that on some occasions this technique has worked, on others, it has not. From the moment I signed with Alfa Romeo. I was able to find greater serenity,” Bottas concluded.

There is no denying that Bottas had a rough couple of years at Mercedes, having to play a secondary role alongside the ever-dominant Lewis Hamilton. Who knows, Bottas could have showcased his true racing capabilities had he received a multi-year deal from the Silver Arrows.

However, in the end, that wasn’t meant to be. Nevertheless, it isn’t too late! Bottas still has a good number of years left in him, and with a promising contract in hand, he could well play a crucial factor in the resurgence of Sauber. Hence, a brilliant end to the F1 career awaiting Bottas? Well, we’ll know in time.

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