Formula 1: Toto Wolff hints at long-term future for Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes

Toto Wolff indicated that he will try to do a better job in future Formula 1 contract situations with Valtteri Bottas after his most recent contract extension was delayed.

Valtteri Bottas signed a one-year contract extension with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in July of 2018, and this contract contained an additional one-year option for the team to pick up retain the 30-year-old Finn for the 2020 Formula 1 season.

But it took until late August before the Silver Arrows decided whether or not to retain Bottas for the 2020 season, when they ultimately did confirm that he would return to the team next year along with six-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who signed a two-year contract extension in July of 2018.

Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff indicated that he plans to do a better job with contract situations in the future, and he believes that the lack of certainty in Bottas’s situation had a negative effect on him throughout the year.

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Bottas opened up the 2019 season on a high note, winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a winless 2018 season. After four races, he had won two races, and he had a one-point lead (87 to 86) over Hamilton in the driver standings after having never led the standings at any point before in his career.

But from that point forward until the end of the summer break when he was ultimately confirmed by the team for the 2020 season, he did not win any of the eight races that were contested. Hamilton, meanwhile, won six, and he outscored Bottas by 63 points (164 to 101) to open up a 62-point lead (250 to 188).

That’s when Bottas was confirmed by Mercedes for next year, and he has only been outscored by Hamilton by five points (131 to 126). With the pressure off Bottas as far as a new contract is concerned, they have both won two races.

As for this lack of certainty throughout the stretch of races before the summer break, both Bottas and Wolff agree that it had a negative effect, and the statistics show it.

Here is what Bottas had to say about the matter, according to Motorsport.

"“There was definitely uncertainty for 2020 at some point. Lots of rumors. I had no idea what was going to happen. I just had to wait. As an athlete, as a driver, it’s not an ideal situation. You can’t be completely with peace of mind and focus on the job and feel mentally free and in the right place.“It’s tricky. When that continues, year after year, every single year of your career, at some point it’s getting a pain in the ass. It’s definitely nice to get the contract signed. But, it’s going to be the same story next year. I’m not too worried at this point because the pace is good, I enjoy the driving, I enjoy working with the team and hope they appreciate that as well.”"

Here is what Wolff had to say.

"“With Valtteri there is a better way to deal with that. Now, in retrospect, you can say it probably had an effect. And I will try to consider that, and make a better job in that respect. I think 2021 the door is wide open, no drivers are contracted to any team, that’s super exciting, and I guess that the driver carousel is going to start pretty soon.”"

There are a few drivers who are already under contract for the 2021 season, but neither Hamilton nor Bottas are. While all the talk has been about Hamilton potentially leaving the team for Ferrari or perhaps retiring after the 2020 season, Wolff seemed to indicate that there is a good chance Bottas will be back with Mercedes in 2021, even with the door “wide open”, since he expressed a clear desire to handle his situation better in the future and showed some remorse over how it was handled this year.

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Valtteri Bottas has proven that he can not only won race but be a great team player, so it would make sense to retain him for the 2021 Formula 1 season, especially if Lewis Hamilton does end up leaving. Mercedes do have other options, however, if they decide against keeping him.

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