Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas revealed that he lost money due to his ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton’s defeat at the Abu Dhabi GP.
Hamilton’s loss at Yas Marina cost him the world championship. It happened due to absolutely bizarre and controversial circumstances. The consequences of it were far-reaching, with the sport suffering a damage in reputation.
However, it even affected people on a personal level. One of the victims was the Finn, who lost some dough in the F1 casino called bonuses. Bottas revealed that he lost money due to Hamilton’s defeat at Abu Dhabi, saying he didn’t received his bonus because of it.
As quoted by grandpx.news, when asked if he missed out on his Mercedes bonus, the ten-time race winner said, “You are right. It was quite a final lap.
“Certain bonuses are tied to certain achievements,” he confirmed, before refusing to reveal his team’s bonus details.
Top dollar
“Luckily, I hadn’t gotten anything in advance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t,” he said.
“I don’t really measure it like that, but at some point, a moment came when there was no need to look at the bank balance anymore. Money is of course a big thing in Formula 1, but I remember where I come from and I have done quite well because of that.
“It (Mercedes’ farewell gift to Bottas) was a big surprise and a nice gift. Unfortunately I have nowhere to put it.
“I was amazed when I saw what they arranged for me – fireworks and music. I realised that they appreciate what I did with the team.
“I remember Lewis and Nico (Rosberg) fighting so hard with each other and it even got a little political. But when I came to Mercedes, I wondered why Nico would stop like that. But now I can identify with him. I can say from experience that it’s not easy,” he concluded.
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