Formula 1 | Bottas criticized for his lack of recognition by his former support

The former financial support of Valtteri Bottas criticized the behavior of the Finnish pilot.

Finnish billionaire Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, 84, head of the Wihuri Group conglomerate, not only supported Bottas career, but also provided personal sponsorship during the Finnish passages at Williams and Mercedes F1.

Wihuri ended his association with Bottas after 2018.

“We stopped supporting Bottas when his personal income exceeded one million euros. We thought it did not make sense to support a guy whose income was at this level.”

Aarnio-Wihuri, however, says that he does not appreciate the fact that after the financing cut, Bottas cut any professional and personal communication.

“It is not a difficult thing for me. But I wonder about a person whose whole careers depended on us and who stops all contact.”

“We even made sure that he joined Mercedes. He would never have got there without us.”

When asked why he thought Bottas behaved in this way, he replied: “I can't say it. Probably because of its character.”

“He hasn't told me a word since then. We met here and there in the world, but not a word.”

Aarnio-Wihuri added that Bottas behavior was very different when funding was flowing. The pilot, currently on vacation in Australia, could not be contacted to comment, but his representative Ville Ahtiainen replied that there was “Always two sides to a story”.

Bottas lost his bucket at Sauber at the end of the 2024 season. Aarnio-Wihuri suspects that despite the return of Bottas to Mercedes this year as a reserve pilot, his Formula 1 career is now practically finished.

“I understand that his career is over, or almost. And he also arrives at this age when he is necessarily less attractive for a long -term project.”

In a fascinating way, Aarnio-Wihuri said that the Finn was clearly designated internally as the number 2 of Lewis Hamilton throughout his days at Mercedes.

“I know the Mercedes and Bottas team quite well was actually the second internal driver. But the team still left him a lot of freedom.”

“You could say that he was given the opportunity to succeed. But he was the second pilot, which was also quite clear in the results. We even discussed it with Toto Wolff. That is why I dare say Now that it was like that. “