Valtteri Bottas will not participate in this weekend’s Race of Champions in Sweden, after it was announced the Alfa Romeo driver was unable to take part in the event.
Bottas had been set to join double world champion Mika Hakkinen to compete for Team Finland in the all-star racing event, taking place this weekend on an ice circuit in Sweden. However it was announced during a pre-event drivers’ press conference that Bottas would not be racing in the event due to “other commitments”.He will be replaced in Team Finland by fellow Finnish driver Emma Kimilainen. The W Series racer said she was excited to be able to race alongside her “childhood hero” by pairing with Hakkinen for the event.
With Bottas not participating in the event, Team Germany’s Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher are the only active Formula 1 drivers who will be racing in the tournament. Reigning Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves will represent Latin America alongside rally driver Benito Guerra, while double W-Series champions Jamie Chadwick will race for Team Great Britain alongside multiple grand prix winner David Coulthard.
The Nations Cup tournament will take place on Saturday, followed by an individual competition between all drivers to determine the ‘champion of champions’ on Sunday. It is the first time that the Race of Champions has been held since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2019 edition of the event, held in Mexico, was won by home racer Guerra, with the Nations Cup claimed by Team Nordic, with the combination of Tom Kristensen and Johann Kristoffersson.
Bottas will race for Alfa Romeo in this year’s Formula 1 season, joining the team after five seasons with Mercedes. Alfa Romeo will test their C42 chassis for the radically overhauled technical regulations for the 2022 season in a special test livery ahead of an official livery launch on Sunday 27 February.
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Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
4th February 2022, 12:05
She won more races than Valtteri last year.
So I suppose that’s something.
Jere (@jerejj)
4th February 2022, 12:17
@proesterchen, I see what you did, LOL.
w0o0dy
4th February 2022, 12:15
Bottas Saw the draw against Vettel and bolted?
Jere (@jerejj)
4th February 2022, 12:18
I wonder what previously unplanned commitments suddenly arose.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
4th February 2022, 13:32
I think the best guess is “forgot”
Aapje (@aapje)
4th February 2022, 16:38
@hunocsi
Could also be Omikron.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
4th February 2022, 18:51
@aapje That would be straightforward to admit, unless he shared being at places he shouldn’t have been recently.
Aapje (@aapje)
4th February 2022, 20:09
@hunocsi
People would be looking for that and drawing conclusions without knowing enough. That’s why one might lie about it.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
5th February 2022, 15:26
@aapje Yesterday afternoon he posted some photos from the Alfa Romeo museum alongside Zhou, so probably the team messed up the scheduling/they forgot the ROC.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
4th February 2022, 12:42
*Heikki and Kimi glancing at each other suspiciously*
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
4th February 2022, 22:11
Indeed, seems like a merger, first thing I thought!
Just a Fan
5th February 2022, 10:43
Surely it can’t be a coincidence, it’s too perfect!
Dane
4th February 2022, 12:48
Too bad they couldn’t get Raikkonen. Kimi and Mika for Team Finland would be epic.
Omar R (@)
5th February 2022, 1:53
Well, he might still be in Maldives, according to the F1 youtube video about Kimi released today.