For Valtteri Bottas, it all began with Australia.
While heโd score his first points as a Formula 1 debutante at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, the following year, Melbourneโs Albert Park was where the Finnish motorsport talent would demonstrate his true potential by securing P5 in the opening race.
It effectively set the tone for a season thatโd eventually close with him as 4th-ranked in the driverโs standings right behind future Mercedes teammate Sir Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, as well as our very own Daniel Ricciardo. To date, Valtteri Bottas has recorded a points finish for every Australian Grand Prix start bar his rookie season.
Since 2020, the 10-time grands prix winner has been in a committed relationship with Australian professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, which has clearly rubbed off on him. During the most recent off-season break, he unveiled quite an impressive mullet while adorned in Victoria Bitter apparel and sucking down an ice-cold longneck.
So it should come as little to no surprise, then, to find the Alfa Romeo driver kicking back with homegrown royalty/all-round good bloke/fellow PUMA ambassador โ Nedd Brockman โ at the brandโs flagship store located in Chadstone ahead of the forthcoming Australian Grand Prix.
Nor should it be a surprise that heโd trek it to the regional Victorian town of Mooroopna to spotlight the Save The Childrenโs kindergarten, which provides a safe space for Indigenous kids; Bottas is set to auction one of two specially designed race helmets crafted by First Nations artist Ricky Kildea to fundraise for the school, having sustained significant damage from the 2022 floods.
This week, we had the distinct privilege of sitting down with Alfa Romeoโs Valtteri Bottas for a quick chat โ check it out below.
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Valtteri Bottas Interview (2023)
Youโve grown a mullet, driven a V8 in Adelaide, your partner is Australian, and youโve been known to enjoy a VB. My question is: when are you finally becoming an Aussie citizen? Or at the very least, moving out here full-time?
[Laughs] There are obviously a lot of connections, as you mentioned. Australia is a beautiful country and Iโd love to get a second passport if theyโd let me.
I think youโve pretty much already passed the citizenship test at this point.
Weโll see.
Throughout your career, youโve scored points in every Australian GP youโve started in. How are you feeling ahead of this yearโs?
Weโve scored in the first race of the season. In the second race of the season, we had an issue with the car. So if everything works out as planned โ as weโve hoped โ with both cars in our team, I think we should be able to get some good points.
That is a good target and my personal target is to be Top 7 this year, because that would be good progress from last yearโs performance. But yeahโฆ I feel good. I definitely wonโt be without the lack of support, because I feel like thereโs a lot of support for me here and thatโs going to help.
Can we expect a VB shooey at the finish line?
Iโm not a big fan, actually, of the shooey. Because I know how much we sweat and even the boots get wet, soโฆ look, Iโm not going to promise anything on that front.
Youโve spoken quite a bit about how leaving Mercedes was a liberating change โ the fresh start you needed โ but obviously, youโre still an extremely competitive driver at heart. Youโve already partially covered this earlier, but what expectations do you have for both yourself and Alfa Romeo this season?
Yeah, itโs definitely different targets now then, say, what I had a couple years ago. But itโs more long-term targets that gives me motivation and that feeling. Still, the goal is to win again, thatโs for sure. And that drives me.
For this year, overall, we want to be better than last year. So that means Top 5 in the constructors championship. For me personally, I want to be in a better place for the driverโs championship.
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This season, an entire class of rookies has started, i.e. Australiaโs Oscar Piastri (McLaren Racing), Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri), Logan Sergeant (Williams Racing). Granted, itโs still very early and maybe even premature to ask, but as a veteran of the grid, whatโs your assessment of this new generation?
It feels like nowadays, the younger drivers, how prepared they come to Formula 1 has changed.
I think the drivers already from an earlier age, they get prepared really well for the sport. They start go-karting even younger than before. They move up to junior Formula categories even younger than before. Also the modern simulator technology helps in terms of practice. So yeahโฆ it is almost like in any sport, people can achieve their top level younger and younger. Thatโs how it goes.
Thereโs been no rookie, I feel, that doesnโt deserve to be in F1. I think everyone has performed well so far.
Now obviously, Albert Park is a favourite of yours given where itโs located, and later this year, youโll be competing in Las Vegas for the very first time. But if you could add one race to the F1 calendar, where would it be?
Obviously the Finnish Grand Prix in Finland [Laughs.] would be good. Thatโs on my wishlist, definitely.
And finally, last year, you and Tiffany launched OATH Gin. Are there any plans to explore other types of alcohol? Perhaps another spirit or even an all-Australian beer?
Iโm actually working on something. I donโt want to give too much away. Some otherโฆ in the form of liquid, again. I think maybe in August I might have some news.
No hints at all?
Ummmโฆ [Extended pause.]. No, sorry [Laughs.].
Now that youโve read BHโs Valtteri Bottas interview, revisit the time we had lunch with Australiaโs reigning UFC featherweight champ and former P4P king Alexander Volkanovski here.
