Valtteri Bottas has had a good career at Mercedes, but given his potential when he first signed, you have to wonder if he has underachieved.
Bottas seems to be struggling this season due to a combination of bad luck and bizarre decisions. It doesn’t help that he only has one year on his contract left, and waiting in the wings is George Russell, the man heavily touted to take his spot next season.
Bottas currently sits 37 points behind teammate and WDC leader Lewis Hamilton, no doubt an underwhelming position to be in this early into the season. His underwhelming performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
According to Sportsmail, some Mercedes engineers seem to have lost faith in the Finn’s abilities. They do not think Bottas is a worthy driver to have in their ranks.
The timing is uncanny, because Bottas has just been backed, and that too by the boss of Mercedes’ title rivals Red Bull.
When asked if he thought Bottas could be given the axe mid-season, team principal Christian Horner defended him. “Valtteri has done a great job over the last few years. I’d be surprised if they did switch Valtteri and George around,” he said.
Vote of confidence or not, Red Bull sit 18 points behind Mercedes in the standings. As such, ironically, Valtteri Bottas will be key in denying Red Bull the opportunity to close the gap.