I read the interview right the time of his switch to Alfa Romeo, about his time in Mercedes. He talked about how he didn't have time to improve because needed to prove of his seat in the team, especially compared to a seven times world champion. It was wearing him down mentally. So seeing him all smiles and relaxed in Alfa Romeo, being the number one driver and mentor to a rookie, it does brings smile to my face. While he's not my favourite driver on the grid, he is the one I am secretly rooting for.
As both an F1 fan and an actual mental health therapist I am glad this is being discussed. The FIA needs to have a trained psychologist/therapist on staff and on hand at events to help drivers process the pressure to perform.
Ive been watching, and going to GP's since the 80s, and I am sick of this softy victim weak minded bullshit this is constantly being spewed these days! It's called sport, its pressure, and if you cant handle it or perform under it, then stop, you obviously don't have what it takes. But no, the world is now filling up with limp wristed self righteous twats like you turning weak and talentless people in to victims, soft weak minded people never get to the top of anything! "It's not fair, it's too hard, he is bigger than me, he has more talent than me, why do I never win blah blah blah, maybe I will identify myself as a women and enter women's sports and win everything" Yeah, and when everyone calls you out for being a pathetic loser, and now a cheat for "pretending" to be a woman, what will you do? scream VICTIM. You people are f.......... pathetic.
@@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802 It is todays generation. All fragile snowflakes who are afraid of their own shadow. In todays world the more problems you have, the more victim you are, the more mental problems you have - > the better Being an unstable mess with dark thoughts who doesnt know their own gender is brave... Sad world.
Yeh, well. But he wasn't such a thing in Mercedes. And he was giving himself unrealistic targets to beat Hamilton. And that took a toll on him. He is now far behind what he was in his early F1 career.
@@ducedevlstear2471 Except he was exceptional and performing at a super level at Merc, but thats useless when your teammate is someone who is in contention for GOAT status Had like 75% been in Lewis' spot, Bottas would probably have 4 titles
@@richardhobbs7360 except that half the field could do what he did. Russel would have beaten him first time out in the car if the team didn't screw him. When you have such dominant car it is so easy to look fantastic. He's had great car last year yet the results were mediocre. Btw, Hamilton is regarded as the contender for such title only to delusionals. And in my opinion, the goat title even projected by goat icon is ridiculously childish normally used exclusively by either Hamilton or Rossi fans. I find it totally desperate.
@@ducedevlstear2471 Ok, yep, your delusional "only Hamilton fans use GOAT" yeah lets just ignore literally EVERYONE else Also thinking Merc sabotaged George lol
@@richardhobbs7360 calling me delusional yet you change the words I say, Nice touch 👌🏻 Where did i use word sabotage ? And again, maybe bot only Ham fans but massive majority are them. Definitely not everyone as you claim. It's a post DtS thing.
I’m happy to hear VB seems to be getting on the right side of his struggles, and hope he and the ones who love and surround him know when it’s time to reach out. All the talk of “team” seems pretty hallow when there’s only one or two taking the brunt of the teams shortcomings. Sport can be so unnecessarily ruthless.
Yes its called sport, physical and mental strength, dedication, sacrifice, hardship, no comfort zones! Anyone with none of the above attributes will ever succeed in any walk of life, its a fact! Look at Lewis's childhood, all the racism, all the hate from the little entitled rich kids in their gokarts, thats why Lewis is a winner, he had too fight through all the hardships to get where he is. Today's kids can't wipe their ass without their mummy or a phone app! "Sport can be ruthless" you are another limp wristed pathetic excuse for a man, or boy! Sport has always been fucking ruthless, thats why the strong always get to the top, but no all the losers play "victim" If you cant handle the heat, or you have no talent, get out the kitchen! Victim society
I will always have respect for Valtteri and the way he handled himself in front of all the media trying to break him down when he was at Mercedes. His composure was always on point.
What I find extremely weird for a high-level sport like F1 is that there is no psychological support. I always thought that every driver had a psychologist to help them push the limits in a healthy way. This was illuminating, thanks for the vid
Great video! Valterri is one of the more underrated drivers in the current F1 grid. Dealing with mental health issues when you’re in a high pressure environment is incredibly difficult. Once you’re in that cycle of constant “fight or flight” it becomes nearly impossible to break out of it. Albon went through similar mental hardships at RBR and it’s clear he’s doing better now at Williams.
It‘s so sad seeing all these people in the comments acting like they know it all. Money doesn‘t buy you happiness and pressure is very very real. Mental health is sadly still often laughed at while it is the biggest challenge society is facing. The people who laugh at it are the ones making this problem worse, making it hard for those affected to open up, invalidating their experience of the world. Honestly props to Valterri for opening up and getting the help he needs. I wish him all the best.
Valtteri is a true gentleman. I really admire him for who he is. He's a real inspiration. Big respect to him for what he is and what he stands for. He's a big credit to Formula 1.
I didn't know the story before this video but something was telling me that since he got into Alfa Romeo he looked and acted more fun and relaxed too, and I am happy to see this. I can only imagine the competitiveness in a bigger team that reaches to a toxic point.
I hope Valtteri can stay at alfa-Sauber until it goes full Audi, and that he can build the team with them to be world champion. That would be a hell of a story, and a perfect redemption for his career. One that would be an exemple for upcoming young drivers
Valtteri is not a slow driver, his quali pace is second to none. He has outperformed his competition multiple times in quali.s. Holding off the rest of the grid and setting the pace so the leader can run like the wind is no small feat. However, that does mean you are not fighting for wins. The second driver car also being a technologically dynamic machine, makes it difficult. But what he had done to himself to be the best he could be, is not fpr the weak of heart and mind. A truer athlete you could never find. And it does not help that every weekend you have to face the media to be be public about your bad days and talk people through it, too. I have nothing but respect for him. I think of him as a cool down to earth guy you can be best mates with. I always root for him.
You know qualy is not the only thing that matters in racing do you? If his overtaking and defending skills are trash, and his tire preservation is average or worse, then he's just average.
I read somewhere that anyone who drives in F1 is a legend. VB going through so much and still winning races giving his best is a testimonial to it. VB is a legend.
@@M8gazine just look at him, although he's not as stressed as back in Mercedes days, he is still tense whenever he's being interviewed or speaking to his bosses. WEC would be perfect for him, that's the true team sport. Team really needs to work together, not against each other. And he is not fast enough for F1.
I was a jockey for 10 years until a crippling accident retired me but I will say I commend valtteri for opening up. Mental health is so bad in the horse racing world. I had times in my career where I was so far down I didn’t think I would ever get up and only relied on winning to get myself out. I still have problems dealing with my weight and it’s been 4 years now since my retirement. But with therapy now I look back and I only let one thing to allow myself happiness or to tell myself I was good enough and that was by winning which I could see how F1 is probably exactly the same
Just like Kimi in F1 versus Kimi at NASCAR. I am Team Finland in all categories and was not a fan of Valtteri until he came to AR. This comes to show you never know the inner struggle elite sportsmen and women carry inside in their daily lives. Go Valtteri, I am thrilled you found yourself again in AR!
I met Bottas after my first gp in the 2019 texas gp, he won that race, and he was in the airport cafe in the table in front of me with Mika hakkinen, have a picture with both of them along with David coulthard, Toto wolff, and max verstappen, all in that airport, and by far, Bottas seemed the nicest, but the coldest, I guess since I was a kid at the time, he didn’t deny me a picture, but when other people came up to him, he said no, and continued conversing with Mika, guy was going through it at merc, and I’ll never forget my experience meeting them
Bottas gets a lot of stick for a lack of aggression in his racecraft and I can kind of see why because he is a very chill personality, it’s really interesting to see the video touch on how relentless and aggressive he truly is in pursuit of his goals as an elite athlete I wish he had the chance to go on a proper championship charge, he’s absolutely rapid on one lap
Big Fan of Valtteri. Great driver great teammate. F1 is a mental health nightmare. Imagine having a professional career where you never once win. That’s crazy to me. They call them the best and the best of the rest. 🤯
My love for Bottas knows no bounds, being put on a one Year Contract leash by Merc must have been soul destroying. I'm so glad he pulled the plug and is now living his best life at Alfa.
It must have been extremely hard for Bottas at Mercedes, knowing he just couldn't catch Lewis, must be hard trying as hard as possible to catch someone who is impossible to catch
I suppose it's not a surprise how far these men need to push themselves in this sport. This was a great article to see into their struggles. I am a Valtteri fan now for many years, I wish him his Best Season yet - I hope Alpha Romeo give him the car he needs to succeed - he can do it!! ❤️❤️
I think we live in a society where people think that wealth equals happiness because we are taught everyone who isn't wealthy live a miserable existence because they don't have lots of money. Mental health issues can affect anyone, we just need to be kind to people.
I am a fan of Valtteri and i was super happy to see him being much more relaxed when he made the move to Alfa Romeo. Thank you for the video, most people don't realize the pressure in Formula 1 is so high. It would be interesting to also hear from Lewis Hamilton how he coped with what happened in Abu Dhabi 2021. FIA could use a trained therapists to provide mental health support for the drivers, or make it a part of regulations change for 2026, for every team to have one.
I gained a lot of respect for him when he started hitting back at Mercedes in his last years there, refusing to want to be the number 2 and give away his position. But seeing him smile with Alfa even if he's not in the top of the grid still warms my heart. Ny hopes is he gets switched to that Audi team coming in next year and see him back on that podium.
It's a kinda divine paradox in being strong enough to be able to show your weak side...which then leads one in becoming mentally stronger. Weak minds are not capable of going through that. Always easy to talk about it, but so much harder to actually be in the middle of that situation. Respect to VB for being strong enough to open up on this issue.
it's natural that the very nature of being in F1 or any occupation that demands both physical and mental stresses of the driver/occupation that it would be taxing. the cerebral aspect is something people don't talk about and your mind is just as much of an important muscle to take care of as your arms or legs. We fans admire these drivers as with many of us we're not willing and or incapable of making the sacrifices needed to become a driver.We need to be more considerate and understanding that they're only human and need to be treated as such
Valtteri never was allowed to change his own strategy at Mercedes. I got pissed last season, when i noticed Russell can do whatever he wants and Valtteri never had that chance given to him.
He did not have the room to risk for taking wins as his contracts were consecutively for 1 year. He still performed like a beast despite these limitations.
It must be hard racing against a prodigy like Lewis. Especially when Bottas would have been able to win a couple of Championships in the Mercedes if only Lewis wasn't his team mate.
As someone who suffers from mental health issues I can say that it's difficult to speak out about things. He did a good thing talking about it and when he did it probably felt like an elephant was removed from his shoulders. Keeping things inside can kill you bit by bit, if you are having issues please talk to someone.
and btw another thing about VB Valtteri Bottas currently holds the record for the highest speed in an F1 race, hitting 372.5km/h (231.4mph) in the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. Mind you he did that in the Williams FW38 nonetheless it’s a record that no other F1 driver has and it’s something the Williams team can claim. In 2021 he was on a bonzi run in Brazil and when he was getting ready to hit the straights James told him to back out of it .. Personally I think they knew he was going to to set another fastest straight away speed and they didn’t want him to outshine Lewis a race that btw Lewis dominated coming from the back of the field
This are the facts we don’t get to hear so often nor so easily. He had to reduce his bodyweight by Mercedes Team Management to win races? That’s not only unprofessional as very dangerous from Mercedes HR Department. I hope he never has to go trough this kind of mental health issues ever again. And i also hope this doesn’t apply for George Russel who’s way longer than Lewis Hamilton (so he naturally gets heavier than shorter persons, as like in Valterri Bottas also is longer than Lewis Hamilton…)
To place the blame at Mercedes would be wrong, as is explained in the video, before 2019 the driver & car were weighed as one. This was the same for all drivers of all teams. Listen to interviews with any driver and they all tell you the same, that they have/had to reduce their weight. It was not a case of Mercedes forcing Bottas, more the regulations punishing taller/heavier drivers for being the way they are.
The last year he accepts Hamilton is better than him, is the year he sometimes underperformed, more than the previous ones. If this is a correlation that actually exist, being a competitive F1 driver is a mental toll heavier than anything, just to perform. A constant undermining of the individual and self doubt when not winning. I kind of understand why Lewis nearly gave in last season, or why Daniel is taking a break mentioning his mental health. The sport is much more brutal than anyone can imagine.
Much often times we see these guys duking it out on track and think they are enjoying themselves and have it all. But if anyone studies the sports' psychologythey will know its very tough mentally to handle the stress in such an environment. There's no room for error. Thats the psyche of these guys. And it can be overwhelming sometimes.
as in any sport, i figure its hard mentally for a lot of these guys to not find immediate success in f1. it has been their lifetime goal to make it onto the grid, and after years of race wins and podiums on the lower levels, that success never transfers right away; if ever. im glad that valtteri seems to has found his place both on the grid and in life
One reason to ignore most people is Bottas beat the 7 time champ several times and is in the books as fastest qualifier at several tracks… and he wasn’t good enough for them.
Professional sport is ruthlessly competitive. It is arguably as much about mental strength as it is physical. If you're gonna be the best there is no space for any kind of vulnerability.
While Bottas and Magnussen have improved considerably in that field, the same cannot be said about Tsunoda. Since it was announced he was going to a sports therapist, he's gotten worse. One of the low points of that is shown very well in Singapore, where he panicked and almost stopped the car in the middle of the circuit whilst shouting about something being broken. At the end of the season, he was the second driver with the most penalty points and even got 5 reprimands as well.
they tortured him for years in mercedes, and everytime he was in front o hamilton he was ordered to let him pass...... what i love the most is that as soon as he annouced changing for alfa romeo that his a shit team.... he was pole and many times fastest lap in that mercedes..... today is perez that have to baby seat max damage and defend his ass instead of going gor it, F1 should have only one driver per team same number of cars.
@thepro08 true✅, thats the thing bout teams using '2nd driver' as the 'wingman' for the 1st driver using the 2nd driver as a tool for drafting/towing &/or defending
As an amateur racer myself, I pretty sure anyone who straps themselves into a car and risks it all for sport is already stepping into the batters box with an 0-2 count as far as mental health goes. When you add in the pressure of needing to hit an exact weight every weekend this shouldn’t be surprising. Hope he’s on top of it going forward. I’d hate to see him on the 2033 season of “My 600 lb life”.
Going up against hamilton for years will take a toll on you. If you were the second best driver ever to live, it would suck to be teammates with the best.
The problem wasn't that he was not quite as fast as Hamilton, the problem was that he pushed too hard against the odds and yet he still couldn't and let it in his head too deep. There are 2nd drivers in history and they were just fine because they accepted the reality of situation. Btw, Hamilton wasn't the best. And Bottas way way off the 2nd best. I bet you are the one who regularly takes evening walks on the moon.
While that must have been difficult, he didn't have to live from day to day worrying where his next £ or $ was coming from, freezing in an unfurnished home and wondering what he had to live for etc. These are just a few of the problems many average people with mental health problems can feel.
He had the misfortune of being in the best car beside one of the exceptional drivers in F1 - the sort of driver who can make even great drivers look mediocre. There were world titles within his grasp if he had a different teammate. The improvement in his mental health when he switched to Alfa Romeo was obvious even to the casual observer
great video! such a shame those guys don't have the assistance they need in such a demanding sport like F1... :( ps.: love your accent! are you scottish?
@@F1Lead i knew it! haha by the way you were speaking, sounded familiar -- kinda like Robbie Head, or any of the McRaes. Greetings from Brazil! +1 like and sub :)
Bubba Wallace has also been open about his mental heath struggles in Nascar. Still flies very below the radar because of fans who think drivers should be happy simply because they are at the top of the sport.
Channeling all the hate makes your day a bit more focused than the privileged suburban spoiled kid who sits at home with a tutor because they are too dumb to get it in class.
I remember back in 2004 I had a lengthy discussion with a 13 year old student. One of Sweden's most successful and beloved athletes, who was both a World Champion and Olympic Champion, had unalived himself due to depression and the student couldn't comprehend why someone who was so successful could struggle mentally. Of course it is difficult, especially if you are still a child, to grasp that success does not equate eternal happiness and that anyone can have periods when you are not doing well.
I love how Mercedes kept bottas on perpetual one year contracts that have serious stress inducing effects and yet normies complain that checo gets bad treatment as a no2 driver. 💀
Also recently, his new girlfriend and his passion for road bikes and gravel events seem to have changed him for the better. He looks more relaxed and seem to genuinely enjoying this part of life.
I like Valtteri because he spoke what was on his mind… the back and forth radio chatter between Valtteri and James was contemporary art at it’s best..
Agreed - great back and forth interactions
I read the interview right the time of his switch to Alfa Romeo, about his time in Mercedes. He talked about how he didn't have time to improve because needed to prove of his seat in the team, especially compared to a seven times world champion. It was wearing him down mentally.
So seeing him all smiles and relaxed in Alfa Romeo, being the number one driver and mentor to a rookie, it does brings smile to my face.
While he's not my favourite driver on the grid, he is the one I am secretly rooting for.
Always look at his position in the grid
As both an F1 fan and an actual mental health therapist I am glad this is being discussed. The FIA needs to have a trained psychologist/therapist on staff and on hand at events to help drivers process the pressure to perform.
Well, there would need to be at least one per team, wouldn't there.
It wasnt a probelm for 70 years. Ofc this generation is the first that cannot handle anything. Sad times.
Ive been watching, and going to GP's since the 80s, and I am sick of this softy victim weak minded bullshit this is constantly being spewed these days! It's called sport, its pressure, and if you cant handle it or perform under it, then stop, you obviously don't have what it takes. But no, the world is now filling up with limp wristed self righteous twats like you turning weak and talentless people in to victims, soft weak minded people never get to the top of anything! "It's not fair, it's too hard, he is bigger than me, he has more talent than me, why do I never win blah blah blah, maybe I will identify myself as a women and enter women's sports and win everything" Yeah, and when everyone calls you out for being a pathetic loser, and now a cheat for "pretending" to be a woman, what will you do? scream VICTIM. You people are f.......... pathetic.
@@fuerstmetternich1997 it was simply ignored previously, you can't get rid of problems by pretending they don't exist
@@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802 It is todays generation. All fragile snowflakes who are afraid of their own shadow. In todays world the more problems you have, the more victim you are, the more mental problems you have - > the better
Being an unstable mess with dark thoughts who doesnt know their own gender is brave...
Sad world.
Bottas' career in Williams was exceptional and he was performing at a super level
Yeh, well. But he wasn't such a thing in Mercedes.
And he was giving himself unrealistic targets to beat Hamilton.
And that took a toll on him.
He is now far behind what he was in his early F1 career.
@@ducedevlstear2471 Except he was exceptional and performing at a super level at Merc, but thats useless when your teammate is someone who is in contention for GOAT status
Had like 75% been in Lewis' spot, Bottas would probably have 4 titles
@@richardhobbs7360 except that half the field could do what he did. Russel would have beaten him first time out in the car if the team didn't screw him.
When you have such dominant car it is so easy to look fantastic.
He's had great car last year yet the results were mediocre.
Btw, Hamilton is regarded as the contender for such title only to delusionals.
And in my opinion, the goat title even projected by goat icon is ridiculously childish normally used exclusively by either Hamilton or Rossi fans. I find it totally desperate.
@@ducedevlstear2471 Ok, yep, your delusional
"only Hamilton fans use GOAT" yeah lets just ignore literally EVERYONE else
Also thinking Merc sabotaged George lol
@@richardhobbs7360 calling me delusional yet you change the words I say, Nice touch 👌🏻
Where did i use word sabotage ?
And again, maybe bot only Ham fans but massive majority are them. Definitely not everyone as you claim. It's a post DtS thing.
I’m happy to hear VB seems to be getting on the right side of his struggles, and hope he and the ones who love and surround him know when it’s time to reach out.
All the talk of “team” seems pretty hallow when there’s only one or two taking the brunt of the teams shortcomings. Sport can be so unnecessarily ruthless.
Yes its called sport, physical and mental strength, dedication, sacrifice, hardship, no comfort zones! Anyone with none of the above attributes will ever succeed in any walk of life, its a fact! Look at Lewis's childhood, all the racism, all the hate from the little entitled rich kids in their gokarts, thats why Lewis is a winner, he had too fight through all the hardships to get where he is. Today's kids can't wipe their ass without their mummy or a phone app! "Sport can be ruthless" you are another limp wristed pathetic excuse for a man, or boy! Sport has always been fucking ruthless, thats why the strong always get to the top, but no all the losers play "victim" If you cant handle the heat, or you have no talent, get out the kitchen! Victim society
I will always have respect for Valtteri and the way he handled himself in front of all the media trying to break him down when he was at Mercedes. His composure was always on point.
He's an absolute class act.
What I find extremely weird for a high-level sport like F1 is that there is no psychological support. I always thought that every driver had a psychologist to help them push the limits in a healthy way.
This was illuminating, thanks for the vid
Great video! Valterri is one of the more underrated drivers in the current F1 grid. Dealing with mental health issues when you’re in a high pressure environment is incredibly difficult. Once you’re in that cycle of constant “fight or flight” it becomes nearly impossible to break out of it. Albon went through similar mental hardships at RBR and it’s clear he’s doing better now at Williams.
Thank you so much for the support 💙
Massive respect to Bottas, warms my heart to see him so happy at Alfa!
It‘s so sad seeing all these people in the comments acting like they know it all. Money doesn‘t buy you happiness and pressure is very very real. Mental health is sadly still often laughed at while it is the biggest challenge society is facing. The people who laugh at it are the ones making this problem worse, making it hard for those affected to open up, invalidating their experience of the world. Honestly props to Valterri for opening up and getting the help he needs. I wish him all the best.
Thank you for your comment 💙
Valtteri is a true gentleman. I really admire him for who he is. He's a real inspiration. Big respect to him for what he is and what he stands for. He's a big credit to Formula 1.
VB went from being a robot and non existing as a human being to coolest driver on the grid.
Love his vibe since the team switch.
I didn't know the story before this video but something was telling me that since he got into Alfa Romeo he looked and acted more fun and relaxed too, and I am happy to see this. I can only imagine the competitiveness in a bigger team that reaches to a toxic point.
Max and his Redbull cronies mostly
I hope Valtteri can stay at alfa-Sauber until it goes full Audi, and that he can build the team with them to be world champion. That would be a hell of a story, and a perfect redemption for his career. One that would be an exemple for upcoming young drivers
Valtteri is not a slow driver, his quali pace is second to none. He has outperformed his competition multiple times in quali.s. Holding off the rest of the grid and setting the pace so the leader can run like the wind is no small feat. However, that does mean you are not fighting for wins. The second driver car also being a technologically dynamic machine, makes it difficult.
But what he had done to himself to be the best he could be, is not fpr the weak of heart and mind. A truer athlete you could never find. And it does not help that every weekend you have to face the media to be be public about your bad days and talk people through it, too. I have nothing but respect for him. I think of him as a cool down to earth guy you can be best mates with. I always root for him.
He's a beast back in williams
He couldnt drive for shit in the wet lmfao. Absolute joke for Merc spot.
You know qualy is not the only thing that matters in racing do you? If his overtaking and defending skills are trash, and his tire preservation is average or worse, then he's just average.
I read somewhere that anyone who drives in F1 is a legend. VB going through so much and still winning races giving his best is a testimonial to it. VB is a legend.
what a dude, never got the attention he deserved
We love Valtteri 💙
All I can say is he looks really tensed during his Mercedes years, and became the coolest guy we know when he went to Alfa Romeo.
@@MrWarhead16 he is a lot more relax but he is nowhere as cool as you say. F1 is too much for him.
@@ducedevlstear2471 yes he is cool
@@M8gazine just look at him, although he's not as stressed as back in Mercedes days, he is still tense whenever he's being interviewed or speaking to his bosses.
WEC would be perfect for him, that's the true team sport. Team really needs to work together, not against each other.
And he is not fast enough for F1.
I was a jockey for 10 years until a crippling accident retired me but I will say I commend valtteri for opening up. Mental health is so bad in the horse racing world. I had times in my career where I was so far down I didn’t think I would ever get up and only relied on winning to get myself out. I still have problems dealing with my weight and it’s been 4 years now since my retirement. But with therapy now I look back and I only let one thing to allow myself happiness or to tell myself I was good enough and that was by winning which I could see how F1 is probably exactly the same
Just like Kimi in F1 versus Kimi at NASCAR.
I am Team Finland in all categories and was not a fan of Valtteri until he came to AR. This comes to show you never know the inner struggle elite sportsmen and women carry inside in their daily lives. Go Valtteri, I am thrilled you found yourself again in AR!
I met Bottas after my first gp in the 2019 texas gp, he won that race, and he was in the airport cafe in the table in front of me with Mika hakkinen, have a picture with both of them along with David coulthard, Toto wolff, and max verstappen, all in that airport, and by far, Bottas seemed the nicest, but the coldest, I guess since I was a kid at the time, he didn’t deny me a picture, but when other people came up to him, he said no, and continued conversing with Mika, guy was going through it at merc, and I’ll never forget my experience meeting them
Always wondered about this, because I know that I would most certainly not be able to deal with the constant beratment by the "fans" for any mistake
Bottas gets a lot of stick for a lack of aggression in his racecraft and I can kind of see why because he is a very chill personality, it’s really interesting to see the video touch on how relentless and aggressive he truly is in pursuit of his goals as an elite athlete
I wish he had the chance to go on a proper championship charge, he’s absolutely rapid on one lap
Big Fan of Valtteri. Great driver great teammate. F1 is a mental health nightmare. Imagine having a professional career where you never once win. That’s crazy to me. They call them the best and the best of the rest. 🤯
My love for Bottas knows no bounds, being put on a one Year Contract leash by Merc must have been soul destroying. I'm so glad he pulled the plug and is now living his best life at Alfa.
It must have been extremely hard for Bottas at Mercedes, knowing he just couldn't catch Lewis, must be hard trying as hard as possible to catch someone who is impossible to catch
Yes - pushing yourself to do the impossible can only end one way
Not allowed...
He clearly didnt try hard enough
@@raphwalker9123 oh really? And you know this how Einstein?
@@trance9158 this is the part where he says GR beat hamilton without taking into consideration were the merc was last szn
I suppose it's not a surprise how far these men need to push themselves in this sport. This was a great article to see into their struggles. I am a Valtteri fan now for many years, I wish him his Best Season yet - I hope Alpha Romeo give him the car he needs to succeed - he can do it!! ❤️❤️
I think we live in a society where people think that wealth equals happiness because we are taught everyone who isn't wealthy live a miserable existence because they don't have lots of money. Mental health issues can affect anyone, we just need to be kind to people.
Yeah, but they still got it easier. No need to worry they will have no money every month. Being poor would make it only worse for him.
"Money doesnt buy happiness" is only said by people with lots of money so poorer people dont feel bad. Dont fool yourself
@@rekoilS It's true tho, it doesn't buy happiness, but it makes a lot of problems go away so you have an easier time while chasing happiness.
I am a fan of Valtteri and i was super happy to see him being much more relaxed when he made the move to Alfa Romeo. Thank you for the video, most people don't realize the pressure in Formula 1 is so high. It would be interesting to also hear from Lewis Hamilton how he coped with what happened in Abu Dhabi 2021. FIA could use a trained therapists to provide mental health support for the drivers, or make it a part of regulations change for 2026, for every team to have one.
I gained a lot of respect for him when he started hitting back at Mercedes in his last years there, refusing to want to be the number 2 and give away his position. But seeing him smile with Alfa even if he's not in the top of the grid still warms my heart. Ny hopes is he gets switched to that Audi team coming in next year and see him back on that podium.
It's a kinda divine paradox in being strong enough to be able to show your weak side...which then leads one in becoming mentally stronger. Weak minds are not capable of going through that. Always easy to talk about it, but so much harder to actually be in the middle of that situation. Respect to VB for being strong enough to open up on this issue.
Valtteri is my favourite... Many lost wins.. but always a winner in my heart
Valtteri is such an amazing person and i respect him so much for speaking about the "dark" sides of the competition
it's natural that the very nature of being in F1 or any occupation that demands both physical and mental stresses of the driver/occupation that it would be taxing.
the cerebral aspect is something people don't talk about and your mind is just as much of an important muscle to take care of as your arms or legs.
We fans admire these drivers as with many of us we're not willing and or incapable of making the sacrifices needed to become a driver.We need to be more considerate and understanding that they're only human and need to be treated as such
Tremendous respect for Valtteri. Great video. Thanks for posting it.
Valtteri never was allowed to change his own strategy at Mercedes. I got pissed last season, when i noticed Russell can do whatever he wants and Valtteri never had that chance given to him.
He did not have the room to risk for taking wins as his contracts were consecutively for 1 year. He still performed like a beast despite these limitations.
It’s not easy to open up about mental health issues, especially when you’re a public figure. Good for him that he did!
It must be hard racing against a prodigy like Lewis. Especially when Bottas would have been able to win a couple of Championships in the Mercedes if only Lewis wasn't his team mate.
I just love to see happy Bottas, he is a truly great man and I am just glad to see him happy.
I really like Valtteri Bottas! He always seemed like a very humble and nice guy to me. I wish him all the best! :)
This makes me want to see him succeed even more.
As someone who suffers from mental health issues I can say that it's difficult to speak out about things. He did a good thing talking about it and when he did it probably felt like an elephant was removed from his shoulders.
Keeping things inside can kill you bit by bit, if you are having issues please talk to someone.
Thank you for your comment 💙
i had the same thing in the past, communication is key in everything
and btw another thing about VB
Valtteri Bottas currently holds the record for the highest speed in an F1 race, hitting 372.5km/h (231.4mph) in the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. Mind you he did that in the Williams FW38 nonetheless it’s a record that no other F1 driver has and it’s something the Williams team can claim. In 2021 he was on a bonzi run in Brazil and when he was getting ready to hit the straights James told him to back out of it .. Personally I think they knew he was going to to set another fastest straight away speed and they didn’t want him to outshine Lewis a race that btw Lewis dominated coming from the back of the field
drive to survive season 5 4/10 needs More Bottas
It very much surprises me that the minimum driver weight wasnt introduced earlier.
my favourite driver since 2019
legend
This are the facts we don’t get to hear so often nor so easily. He had to reduce his bodyweight by Mercedes Team Management to win races? That’s not only unprofessional as very dangerous from Mercedes HR Department. I hope he never has to go trough this kind of mental health issues ever again. And i also hope this doesn’t apply for George Russel who’s way longer than Lewis Hamilton (so he naturally gets heavier than shorter persons, as like in Valterri Bottas also is longer than Lewis Hamilton…)
To place the blame at Mercedes would be wrong, as is explained in the video, before 2019 the driver & car were weighed as one. This was the same for all drivers of all teams. Listen to interviews with any driver and they all tell you the same, that they have/had to reduce their weight.
It was not a case of Mercedes forcing Bottas, more the regulations punishing taller/heavier drivers for being the way they are.
Then he’d be crying and saying it’s the car’s fault and it’s not his fault for being overweight. Always whining such a shit driver
Bottas may not be the champion of F1, but he's become the champion of our hearts.
That was lame I know, but it's how I feel
The last year he accepts Hamilton is better than him, is the year he sometimes underperformed, more than the previous ones.
If this is a correlation that actually exist, being a competitive F1 driver is a mental toll heavier than anything, just to perform. A constant undermining of the individual and self doubt when not winning. I kind of understand why Lewis nearly gave in last season, or why Daniel is taking a break mentioning his mental health. The sport is much more brutal than anyone can imagine.
Very hard to judge the state of mind of a Finn... Just by looking at one, you can't tell if he is actually extatically happy or manically depressed...
Great drivers on the grid. As a racer & a personality. He cares. Happy to see him relaxed.
Would like hearing Vandoorne and Kvyat about this. They did insane races but declined so much and I think it's related to mental.
Much often times we see these guys duking it out on track and think they are enjoying themselves and have it all. But if anyone studies the sports' psychologythey will know its very tough mentally to handle the stress in such an environment. There's no room for error. Thats the psyche of these guys. And it can be overwhelming sometimes.
as in any sport, i figure its hard mentally for a lot of these guys to not find immediate success in f1. it has been their lifetime goal to make it onto the grid, and after years of race wins and podiums on the lower levels, that success never transfers right away; if ever. im glad that valtteri seems to has found his place both on the grid and in life
One reason to ignore most people is Bottas beat the 7 time champ several times and is in the books as fastest qualifier at several tracks… and he wasn’t good enough for them.
for me i know what is Valtteri going through and opening up to someone ir really hard
Professional sport is ruthlessly competitive. It is arguably as much about mental strength as it is physical. If you're gonna be the best there is no space for any kind of vulnerability.
Bottas with his new stache will make it all better
This is exactly the F1 content YT needs!
Thank you for your support Grahame❤️
Bottas! Be yourself, don't someone else
While Bottas and Magnussen have improved considerably in that field, the same cannot be said about Tsunoda. Since it was announced he was going to a sports therapist, he's gotten worse. One of the low points of that is shown very well in Singapore, where he panicked and almost stopped the car in the middle of the circuit whilst shouting about something being broken. At the end of the season, he was the second driver with the most penalty points and even got 5 reprimands as well.
Japanese racers should stay away from F1 for good sadly
Amazing how it was all about Lewis meanwhile nobody asked bottas if he was okay
Gotta love someone like Valterri, brings wholesomeness to a sport like F1.
What a fantastic video. Hope you're able to continue with your content
Thank you so much for your support 💙
Thing is bottas could've definitely become world champion in that mercedes if he wasn't sat next to Hamilton
Great video! He definitely needs more attention especially when he was at Mercedes
Yes, he tends to fly under the radar.
Thank you so much for your support 💙
@@F1Lead you deserve and will get more subs bro! Keep at the amazing content!
My favorite driver!!
Wish VB all the best.
they tortured him for years in mercedes, and everytime he was in front o hamilton he was ordered to let him pass...... what i love the most is that as soon as he annouced changing for alfa romeo that his a shit team.... he was pole and many times fastest lap in that mercedes..... today is perez that have to baby seat max damage and defend his ass instead of going gor it, F1 should have only one driver per team same number of cars.
@thepro08
true✅, thats the thing bout teams using '2nd driver' as the 'wingman' for the 1st driver using the 2nd driver as a tool for drafting/towing &/or defending
It wasn't unusual for drivers to faint due to not eating a few years ago. FIA should have got much more pain for allowing that to happen.
As an amateur racer myself, I pretty sure anyone who straps themselves into a car and risks it all for sport is already stepping into the batters box with an 0-2 count as far as mental health goes. When you add in the pressure of needing to hit an exact weight every weekend this shouldn’t be surprising. Hope he’s on top of it going forward. I’d hate to see him on the 2033 season of “My 600 lb life”.
Lighter drivers are still preferred, because teams can decide where the put the ballast to optimise the car's balance and handling characteristics.
I’m not an F1 driver but can totally relate to this…
Fomrula 1 is undeniably a high-performance sport and as such is extremely prone to mental struggles of all kinds :(
Going up against hamilton for years will take a toll on you. If you were the second best driver ever to live, it would suck to be teammates with the best.
The problem wasn't that he was not quite as fast as Hamilton, the problem was that he pushed too hard against the odds and yet he still couldn't and let it in his head too deep.
There are 2nd drivers in history and they were just fine because they accepted the reality of situation.
Btw, Hamilton wasn't the best. And Bottas way way off the 2nd best.
I bet you are the one who regularly takes evening walks on the moon.
It's the Dandenong Ranges that have been helping him ....keep pedalling around the mountain !!!!!
Valtteri is the wdc material who didnt have enought luck and sadly drove for best team while Lewis dominated
Kiitos Valtteri !
Alfa Romeo seems to be much more of an easy-going team than Mercedes or Ferrari. It'd be nice to see them move up some positions.
Then they won't be easy going anymore
@@hebaelhariry We never know, hopefully that won't be the case. There have also been very toxic teams at the bottom.
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When F1 Drivers CHEAT to WIN:
th-cam.com/video/LE7RkghCdYk/w-d-xo.html
In thumbnail looks like an 80 s baseball player
Great video! Great topic!
Thank you so much for the support 💙
While that must have been difficult, he didn't have to live from day to day worrying where his next £ or $ was coming from, freezing in an unfurnished home and wondering what he had to live for etc. These are just a few of the problems many average people with mental health problems can feel.
He had the misfortune of being in the best car beside one of the exceptional drivers in F1 - the sort of driver who can make even great drivers look mediocre. There were world titles within his grasp if he had a different teammate.
The improvement in his mental health when he switched to Alfa Romeo was obvious even to the casual observer
9:18 ironically the reason the car is red/black is a weight saving reason
Big fan of Val!
Good doc.
Formula One fans hating Valtteri Bottas challenge (impossible)
great video! such a shame those guys don't have the assistance they need in such a demanding sport like F1... :(
ps.: love your accent! are you scottish?
Thank you so much for your support! 💙
Yes, it’s a Scottish accent 🏴
@@F1Lead i knew it! haha
by the way you were speaking, sounded familiar -- kinda like Robbie Head, or any of the McRaes. Greetings from Brazil! +1 like and sub :)
Bubba Wallace has also been open about his mental heath struggles in Nascar. Still flies very below the radar because of fans who think drivers should be happy simply because they are at the top of the sport.
Channeling all the hate makes your day a bit more focused than the privileged suburban spoiled kid who sits at home with a tutor because they are too dumb to get it in class.
I remember back in 2004 I had a lengthy discussion with a 13 year old student. One of Sweden's most successful and beloved athletes, who was both a World Champion and Olympic Champion, had unalived himself due to depression and the student couldn't comprehend why someone who was so successful could struggle mentally. Of course it is difficult, especially if you are still a child, to grasp that success does not equate eternal happiness and that anyone can have periods when you are not doing well.
I love how Mercedes kept bottas on perpetual one year contracts that have serious stress inducing effects and yet normies complain that checo gets bad treatment as a no2 driver. 💀
Also recently, his new girlfriend and his passion for road bikes and gravel events seem to have changed him for the better.
He looks more relaxed and seem to genuinely enjoying this part of life.
9:14 I CAN'T 🤣
When you are ordered to kiss the arse of “The Golden Boy”, and be second, well I would get depressed too.
Ah yes, the famous racing driver Val Terry Boatass
Your voice remind me of the (german?) journalist that makes comically long questions to the drivers on the interviews
The whoosh transition sound is so grating to listen to
2:21 Actually not Bianchi‘s accident. He hit a recovery vehicle.
Mika, Kimi, Valtteri... dammit, why are finnish drivers so likeable?