Coulthard Suspects Mercedes Have Given Valtteri Bottas the ‘Heads Up’ of Losing 2022 F1 Seat

Recently, former F1 drivers, David Coulthard and Mark Webber appeared in a podcast to talk on various subjects. Among them, the ex Red Bull drivers spoke about Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. The Finn has come under a lot of pressure to perform to the level that Lewis Hamilton has achieved.

Coulthard said, “I wonder if he’s actually been given the heads up. That maybe the contract won’t be getting renewed. When I left McLaren, they told me in June, a year before my contract had run out.

“I had a year and a half, effectively of knowledge that I won’t have my contract renewed because they already signed [Juan Pablo] Montoya.”

The Scotsman confessed that when the team broke the news, he appreciated their honesty. Coulthard admitted that he would not blame Bottas if the Finn crumbled under pressure from Hamilton’s brilliance. He even cited the example of Nico Rosberg, who left Formula One after beating Hamilton to the title.

What else did he say about Valtteri Bottas?

According to the former McLaren driver, Bottas has endured one of the worst starts to a season. While he is quick over a single lap, his racecraft is something left to be desired.

At Imola, the Finnish driver even suffered the embarrassment of getting lapped. This is something that even Coulthard never achieved while driving a car capable of winning championships.

The Scot also admitted that Bottas may look deep within himself. When he does, he will acknowledge that he has not been able to meet the team’s targets on Sunday. Now, Valtteri Bottas will be looking ahead to this weekend’s race at the Monte Carlo street circuit.

He knows that he cannot afford to slip backward any further in the championship, and on the track. On the other end of the spectrum, teammate Lewis Hamilton will not make things easy for him. Neither will his other rivals, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and many more.

READ MORE: Five or Six Years at Mercedes Means I Need To Win F1 Title At Least Once: Valtteri Bottas