Valtteri Bottas has revealed he consﷺidered retiring from Formula 1 after being forced to hand Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton the win at the 2018 Russian Grand Prix.

Bo💃ttas was ordered to move over for Hamilton while leading the race in Sochi, leading to the infamous team radio message: “Valtteriꦉ, it’s James...”

At the time, Hamilton was involved in a title fight against Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes felt it had to swap th✨e cars due to Hamilton🌠’s front tyres developing a blister, thus securing the 1-2 finish in Russia.

Speaking i♔n Netflix’s ‘Drive ♛to Survive’ F1 documentary, Bottas admitted he considered quitting the sport following the race in Sochi.

“Sochi 2018, that was a pr🦋e🐠tty tough race,” Bottas said. “Tough to accept. I was pretty angry. “Honestly I was thinking ‘Why do I do this?’. I was thinking of quitting [F1], of giving up. Straight after the race, I said I would not do it again.”

Team orders hasn't been an issue for Bottas in the past two seasons as the Finn has bee🐽nꦐ Hamilton's nearest challenger for the title, meaning Mercedes has often let the pair race without any intervention.

2021 might be different though given Red Bull’s Max Verstappen impressive form over pre-season testing making ♕the Dutchman a lℱikely threat to Mercedes for the title.

𒆙Again in the same episode, Bottas spoke about 𓆉how he wants to prove that he’s not just a ‘number two’ driver.

“If youꦦr teammate wins and you are second, you feel like you lose. I know I’ve been second in the past, ♈but I want to prove I’m not just a number two.”

While Mercedes maintains both of its drivers have equal footing in the team, Bottas ad🎉mits teams “unconsc꧙iously” have a hierarchy.

“In the team, even though many wouldn’t admit it, maybe unconsciously they have a number one and a number two,” Bottas added. “Sometimes the team members had to🔯 question themselves: ‘Are we giving equal treatment to Lewis and Valtteri?'”