Valtteri Bottas explained the meaning behind his spur-of-the-moment post-race remark: “To whom it may concern: Fuck you.”
“It just came,” said Bottas after the race. “I just wanted to send my best regards. That’s it, honestly, I didn’t think about it or have it planned. It just came.”The Mercedes driver bounced back from a win-less 2018 by winning the first race of the new season, and aimed the message at those who criticised him during last season.
“Obviously there’s many people that support you. Honestly I appreciate it a lot with the people around me, supporting me. In sport there’s always ups and downs so you can really see the true support quite easily.
“And then through the difficult times there’s the other part which is a lot more negative and that’s their weakness, so it’s fine.”
However Bottas said some of the criticism he has faced was not necessarily unfair.
“I can’t say unfair because everyone can say whatever they want. But I just thought to whom it may concern maybe they should look in the mirror sometimes and think actually why they do that.”
Bottas described his relief at winning for the first time in over a year.
“It’s really special obviously,” he said. “It’s only my fourth win anyway in Formula 1 and after a win-less 2018 even better. So I’m very, very pleased.
“But it doensn’t happen [just] like that. There’s obviously a lot of work to be able to win and be able to be in that kind of pace. Obviously for winning you need a good car and as a team we’ve been able to do it even after quite difficult winter testing. Here we’re quicker than expected, it made it possible.
“From my side I have to say it was the best race I have done so far in my career.”
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2019 F1 season
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ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
17th March 2019, 11:33
I love your new attitude, Valtteri. Best regard.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
17th March 2019, 11:40
A “Bad Ass Bottas” for 2019?
Cool :)
Chaitanya
17th March 2019, 11:42
I hope he keeps up the momentum throughout the year
Balue (@balue)
17th March 2019, 11:42
Toto Wolff part of the group for sure. Bottas said at the time he was quite hurt by the wingman comment.
Coanda (@ming-mong)
17th March 2019, 12:00
Thata boy Valtteri.. You tell them!
Phylyp (@phylyp)
17th March 2019, 12:04
A feisty Bottas? Me likey!
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
17th March 2019, 12:10
:p “Not bad for a #2.” attitude. I hope he can do a Nico on Lewis. Otherwise this season will be terrible.
RP (@slotopen)
17th March 2019, 13:39
@jureo
Yes. If Ferrari or Red Bull don’t improve Bottas is the only hope to challenge Hamilton.
Glad to see him win.
macaque (@macaque)
17th March 2019, 17:52
I think we need everyone to challenge Hamilton to have a great season.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
18th March 2019, 6:41
Hamilton wont be perpendicularly challenged by cars that finish 7 tenths behind him in Quali. He is too good a racer. But a good teammate in equal machinery?
Nico had a string of 9 wins in a row and that was barley enough. So Bottas needs now round 5 wins in a row.
I struggle to believe Ferrari can make up that deficit. Maybe RedBull can?
Carl
19th March 2019, 6:50
9 in a row for Rosberg? When did that bloody happen?
David Hugh Graham Cameron
17th March 2019, 12:17
Badass, hard drinking Bottas…Toto likes it, and clearly its working :-D
Good on him though, he’s absolutely right, that was the most dominant race of his career, will be interesting to see if he keeps it up and if he does how Hamilton will react given the fall-out between him and Nico when he dared to start challenging for wins…
Todfod (@todfod)
17th March 2019, 12:38
Sounds like what the media was writing about Bottas last season really got to him. Glad to see him spurned and motivated to set the record straight. I’m like Bottas version 2 already.
Thegamer23
17th March 2019, 12:46
Badass Bottas is the best bottas
Kringle
17th March 2019, 16:19
Lol good nickname
valinor
17th March 2019, 12:47
Verstappen attitude from Bottas lol
I’m actually happy lol
Ajaxn
17th March 2019, 13:04
I see this as a measure of the extra preassures Bottas was under following a winless year.
Mercedes would have been all too aware.
stefano (@alfa145)
17th March 2019, 13:44
Villeneuve, maybe…?
Gabriel (@rethla)
17th March 2019, 13:56
Finally some attitude from the robot, both on track and in person!
Adam (@rocketpanda)
17th March 2019, 14:35
There’s been a transporter accident somewhere. This is Mirror-Bottas. May he stay long and continue winning!
glynh (@glynh)
17th March 2019, 14:57
@rocketpanda That explains the beard then.
rpiian (@rpiian)
18th March 2019, 1:36
Fear the Beard!
georgeboole (@)
17th March 2019, 14:40
Do we have a new Kimi here?
Glad he won. He really needed it and more than everyone he deserved it.
toiago (@toiago)
17th March 2019, 14:41
Great early signs from Bottas. Really wish that he can keep it up!
Adam (@rocketpanda)
17th March 2019, 14:49
Thinking about it, maybe that particular remark was aimed at Ocon… ?
macaque (@macaque)
17th March 2019, 17:50
Ocon is there to take his seat if he doesn’t perform, but Ocon wouldn’t be the one making that decision, so I don’t think it’s that personal.
Abba Usman
17th March 2019, 14:55
7a
Rimi Drive
David BR (@david-br)
17th March 2019, 15:21
He’s definitely had some criticism the last two years, unfairly or not (mostly the latter), but in the end that ‘f message’ is to his own unconfident self. Good to hear. Now keep it up.
Alex
17th March 2019, 16:33
That’s exactly what I was thinking when I read the article.
grat
17th March 2019, 16:43
While I respect the attitude (and the performance), and concede Bottas was winning two races last year right up until he didn’t (for reasons beyond his control), the truth is it’s all too easy to criticize his performance in 2018, without any necessity of introspection. Of the top 6 drivers, he was only able to beat Ricciardo, who had *7* more retirements than Bottas.
Glad to see he’s driving better at the start of the season– if he can keep it up in the face of adversity, he’s got a shot at the title. If not, Ocon will.
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
17th March 2019, 18:36
The Merc looks like it has a disc in the front. Looks weird.
Short Circuit (@jjohn)
17th March 2019, 23:24
My old Discman! Well glad to see it’s been recycled and put to good use.
DaveW (@dmw)
17th March 2019, 19:18
Bottas is just trying to make sure he gets on the Nextlix show.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
17th March 2019, 19:47
@dmw: LOL! Quote of the Year. (So far).
BlackJackFan
18th March 2019, 4:08
+1
lunaslide (@lunaslide)
18th March 2019, 8:51
@dmw Well played, sir. Salty Bottas is best Bottas.
erikje
17th March 2019, 19:29
The wingman just flapped his wings for the first time. Now some rossie mind games on ham and he will feel the pressure again.
Xcm
17th March 2019, 20:10
I think his seat is under serious threat from Ocon… and this is whom he may be referencing…
Erik Kennedy (@erikkennedy)
17th March 2019, 22:10
‘Valtteri Badass’ is a much better nickname than the usual ‘Flying Finn’ nonsense. ;-)
Short Circuit (@jjohn)
17th March 2019, 22:50
From winless to wingless!
Julio
17th March 2019, 23:19
Go, go, go Mr. Nice Guy! Show the rest of F1 world you got what it takes to be a F1 champion. Good luck, Valtterie, in Bahrain Grand Prix.
the.grouch
18th March 2019, 3:46
Tough guy image doesn’t suit him
this mask will wear off sooner than later
BlackJackFan
18th March 2019, 4:17
“Sounds like what the media was writing about Bottas last season really got to him.”
And, so it should… Bottas was not good last year, nor, imo, in 2017 – ignore the individual details, just overall – his was a sombre, lacklustre couple of years.
Maybe BOT should be grateful for the comments he received, and pull himself up by his bootstraps… which is exactly what he seems (so far) to have done – and good luck to him. I’m pleased for him. And today he deserved all he got…
But… this remark strikes me he’s still upset/angry with last year’s comments (as was Webber: “Not bad for a No.2…!) so he has yet to fully pull himself up – which is worrying.
I’m not into predicting (unlike so many others… ;-) but I fear BOT will not be able to keep up the momentum, against the combined might of HAM, VET & VER…
wayne
18th March 2019, 7:50
wow Bottas uses the f word and some ppl hail it. hamilton speaks his mind and he gets annihilated. am i seeing double stsndards?
BlackJackFan
18th March 2019, 9:05
Of course… The internet probably couldn’t exist without it… ;-)
RB13
18th March 2019, 12:23
It’s called the Great White Privilege and people are doing preposterous things all over the world to protect it. Nothing surprising here.
If Lewis did this people would be calling for him to be stripped of all 5 titles.
BlackJackFan
19th March 2019, 1:43
Ah… the old racist excuse, rears it’s ugly head, again…
Xcm
18th March 2019, 18:02
Obvious troll is obvious. Go away troll.
Brian Adkins
18th March 2019, 21:16
And you thought “Leave me alone , I know what I’m doing” made a great T Shirt …