Valtteri Bottas Set Bring Back Iconic Meme With Former Mercedes Teammate at Williams

“Valtteri, it’s James. Please hold position.” was the anthem of Mercedes whenever they needed to give Lewis Hamilton an edge over his closest championship rival (which was Sebastian Vettel most of the time during the Merc-dominance era). A 10x GP winner, Valtteri Bottas, was a spectacular driver but fell short of giving Hamilton a run for his money. A burden he will describe many years later as a big struggle in denial. However, with time, the Finnish driver is no longer inMercedes, and the guy James [Vowels] who was giving him those gut-wrenching messages isn’t either. But their recent rendezvous has sparked rumors.

The first notable “Valtteri, it’s James” radio interjection happened when James Vowles apologetically instructed Bottas to stop attacking Lewis late in the 2018 German Grand Prix. James was the last resort before team boss Toto Wolff had to wade in. So if Vowles came on the radio, it was a clear sign the driver needed to take it seriously and that the team meant business.

While there were a lot of debates on this dynamic, the message also entered meme culture. And half a decade after the origination of this iconic statement, Valtteri might be seeking James as he was spotted in Williams motoring home. According to Theodore Kravitz or Ted Kravitz, Valtteri Bottas is talking to Williams regarding a seat in 2025 alongside Alexander Albon (who recently signed a multi-year contract with the Sleeping Giants).

With Logan Sargeant underperforming and Kimi Antonelli also a contender, Bottas didn’t want to leave any stone unturned, as his Sauber stint might be coming to an end soon with Audi taking over in 2026. But is something transpiring?

Valtteri Bottas makes a “coffee” excuse for his Williams visit

The Sauber driver was spotted leaving the Williams hospitality building ahead of qualifying for the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday, with Autosport reporting that Bottas had a 15-minute meeting with team principal James Vowles. But Bottas remained tight-lipped and made a “coffee” excuse for visiting the old friend.

When asked how regularly he visits his former team, Bottas replied, “Sometimes![James] is a good friend of mine. I ran out of coffee in our motorhome so I needed to get some from there.” Bottas was tight-lipped when pressed for details on what was discussed during the meeting. He added, “[It was] normal things, about life!” he said. “Of course, when you’re on the free market, you want to check around what’s out there. It’s a pretty normal situation, being you’re on the free market.”

Do you think Bottas can make a move to Williams? If yes, what happens to Kimi Antonelli or, for that matter, Logan Sargeant?