Valtteri Bottas experienced an unfortunate end to the 2024 Formula 1 season. After a year without scoring any points, the Finn seemed to finally have a chance to finish in the top ten during the final race in Abu Dhabi. Despite a surprisingly strong qualification, he had to retire prematurely from the race. An early collision with Magnussen sealed his scoreless season. Although Bottas does not yet have a contract for 2025, he is convinced that this was not his last appearance.
After a promising qualification, in which Valtteri Bottas surprisingly placed among the top ten cars, his race fell apart in the opening round. He received a ten-second penalty for a collision with Sergio Pérez and later also hit Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. As a result, he eventually dropped out of the race. A disappointed Bottas admitted after the race that he was at fault for the crash.
‘This is not how it should end’
“This was not the first time that everything went wrong in the first round,” he sighed to the media in Abu Dhabi. “First the incident, then the penalty, and then I ended up at the back. To top it all off, I also collided with Kevin (Magnussen). That was my fault. I was defending with worn tires and tried to brake as late as possible, but as a result, I couldn’t stop the car.” Where the 35-year-old Finn was able to prove in the qualification that he has a lot of speed, the race ended in another disappointment.
The Abu Dhabi GP marks the end of a tough season for Valtteri Bottas, who failed to score a single point in twenty-four races. This leaves him in twenty-second place in the championship. However, the Finn is not yet done with his Formula 1 career: “This is not how I want to end,” he concluded determinedly. “I am not done yet.” The question remains where Valtteri Bottas might end up. Mercedes might want to offer him a role as a test and reserve driver now that Mick Schumacher has left. Additionally, the new Formula 1 team from Cadillac has shown interest.
