Valtteri Bottas has nine Formula 1 grand prix victories, 17 pole positions, 61 podiums. In partnership with Lewis Hamilton, he has g🎃uided Mercedes to record-breaking levels of🌃 success.

His future with the reigning world𓆉 champions is🍒 in doubt with George Russell waiting in the wings.

So, what are the Finn’s options for 2022?

Stays with Mercedes

The Hamilton-Bottas combination has led Mercedes to four consecutive years of domination. Four dr👍ivers’ titles for Hamilton; four ♚constructors’ titles for Mercedes, why change a winning team? Hamilton has often praised Bottas, not just for his on-track performances but for the way he conducts himself inside of the team

“I have more poles than anyone here so it’s not like I’m a slowpoke and so he’s doing an amazing job,” Hamilton said after qualifying at last year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. “🌌I think his result today speaks for itself and I don’t really need to say much more. He does his talking on the track and that’s the great thing about Valtteri.

ꦛ“I don’t think there are many people that can do whꦰat he’s doing if I’m really honest. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him.” 

Bottas has finished runner-up twice to Hamilton, third🦹 in 2017 an﷽d only finished fifth in 2018 after cruel misfortune cost him a certain victory at Azerbaijan, while team orders stopped him from winning in Russia and arguably Germany. It’s a formidable line-up that works for the team but also keeps Mercedes’ seven-time champion happy.

While Red Bull has improved its driver line-up with the signing of Sergio Perez - who has rightly received praise for some of his perfo🥂rmances in 2021 - Bottas has scored three more podiums than the Mexican in a less competitive car, and without his botched pit stop in Monaco, would be ahead in the standings.

Botဣtas is doing a good job as Mercedes' number two driver.

The Russell♏ factor 💟can’t be argued against though. 

Mercedes needs to look at the long-term - Hamilton is getting older and Russe♛ll clearly has the speed and talent to flourish in a top team. Red Bull gambled on Max Verstappen, Ferrari with Charles Leclerc, even McLaren did with Hamilton himself back in 2007.

The best choice for Me♔rcedes is Russell; the best choice for Hamilton is Bottas - that’s the dilemma. Russell deserves a chance and it could even spur Hamilton onto new heights.

A return to Williams?

Williams poses the likeliest op💦portunity for Bottas to remain in F1. The Finn made his debut with the team back in 2013 and was instrumental in helping the Grove-based outfi🌃t finish third in the constructors’ championship in 2014 and 2015 alongside Felipe Massa.

It’s easy to forget how good Bottas was for Williams and why he was linked with Ferrari as a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen at certain points in 2014 and 2015. Williams wo🍨uld need a replacement for Russell and Bottas fits the bill perfectly.

He has already con♎firmed that he would consider options ou🍸tside of Mercedes.

“Obviously I want to get the understanding from the team, what is the plan, which driver they want in the other car,” Bottas said ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June. “Lewis is confirmed, the other is still free, so the team needs to decide. I need to have tha🌜t discussion.

“But I also feel like I have many, many years still left in me. I enjoy r🌠acing, I love racing, I love F1, so it's definitely not done to go to another form of s𒈔port or motorsport in the coming years.”

Bottas would no longer be in Hamilton’s shadow, he’d♛ be the main man at Williams as it looks to continue its revival. Whether he would want a switch to a team that has scored just eight points since the start of 2018 is another question, but he may be left with no🧔 choice. 

Replaces Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo

Bottas has emerged as an unlikely replacement for his fellow countryman at Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen’s performances have dipped in 2020, oft💜en trailing teammate Antonio Giovinazzi by some distance in qualifyin🐻g - it could be in need of a new team leader. 

While Giovinazzi’s performances have improved, a driver of Bottas’ calibre would be a clear upgrade on what it currently has. Bottas alongside a talented youngster such as Callum Ilott or Rob꧂ert Shwartzman would refresh Alfa’s line-up going into 2022.

Another factor is that Bottas worked with Alfa Romeo team boss Fred Vasseur during his 2011 GP3♛ Series title-winning season.&n🦹bsp;

Could they team up again?

Sabbatical

The 31-year-old may not be attracted by a switch to two of F1’s slowest teams over the past few years. A sabbatical fr𒉰om F1 is🌠 another option for Bottas should he not fancy running at the back.

Besides the aforementioned options, it’s unlikely there will be any other seats availa༺ble on the grid for 2022. A year out could mean a few drives open up for 2023.

Although, F1 moves on so fast so coming back could be tricky given that you’re no longer in the public eye. Ask 🐷Nico Hulkenberg!

Rallying

Since 2019, the Arctic Lapland Rally has been a f🐬avourite of Bottas’ during the off🅷-season. He recorded a stage win and finished fifth overall in his first year. 

In 2020, Bottas again participated in the Arctic Lapland Rally, where he drove a Citroën DS3 WRC car and finished inside the top ten. A year later, he scored a class podium and finished sixth overall𝔍.

Bottas has often spoken ꦡabout how rallying has⛦ helped sharpen his skill set for F1.

Ahead of the 2021 Arctic Rally, Bottas said: “I always knew that if I didn’t have any other commitments, it’s something I wanted to do again, because now I’ve done it twice before and for me it’s such a great challenge and so much fun. The roads are really beautiful and it’s just a nice, relaxed event. I really, really enjoyed driving on ice and snow and being out on ﷺt෴he winter roads.

“I always feel that when I go rallying, it kind of backs up something else in terms of your driving skil♚ls. I think it’s important to keep your car control skills in a good shape during the winter break so for me, it’s certainly a benefit.”

It’s clear rallying is a bi𝐆g passion for Bottas and a potential career avenue should his timᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe in F1 come to an end in December.