Jan.24 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ former monetary backer has hit out on the Finnish driver’s behaviour.
Finnish billionaire Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, the 84-year-old head of the Wihuri Group conglomerate, backed not solely Bottas’ junior profession, but additionally offered private sponsorship in the course of the Finn’s stints at Williams and Mercedes.
Wihuri ended its affiliation with Bottas, 35, after 2018.
“We stopped supporting Bottas when his private revenue exceeded a million euros,” he defined to Urheilulehti newspaper. “We thought it didn’t make sense for us to assist a man whose revenue was at that stage.”
Aarnio-Wihuri, nevertheless, says he doesn’t recognize the truth that after the funding was minimize off, Bottas severed all communication each professionally and personally.
“It’s not a troublesome factor for me,” he stated. “However I do marvel about an individual whose total profession trusted us after which he simply stops all contact.
“We even organized for him to hitch Mercedes. He would by no means have gotten there with out us.”
When requested why he thinks Bottas behaved in that approach, he answered: “I can’t say. Most likely due to his character.
“He hasn’t stated a phrase to me since then. We’ve seen one another right here and there on the planet, however not a phrase.”
Aarnio-Wihuri added that Bottas’ behaviour was very totally different when the funding was flowing. The motive force, at present holidaying in Australia, couldn’t be reached for remark, however his consultant Ville Ahtiainen stated there are at all times two sides to a narrative.
As for Aarnio-Wihuri, he suspects that regardless of Bottas returning to Mercedes this 12 months as reserve driver, his System 1 profession is now principally over.
“My understanding is that his profession is over, or virtually so,” he stated. “And he’s attending to that age, too.”
Bottas misplaced his Sauber race seat on the finish of the 2024 season, and Aarnio-Wihuri stated the Finn was quantity 2 to Lewis Hamilton all through his days at Mercedes.
“I do know the Mercedes staff fairly effectively,” he stated, “and Bottas was principally the second driver. However the staff nonetheless gave him a number of free rein.
“You might say that he was given the chance to succeed. However he was the second driver, which within the outcomes was additionally fairly clear. We even mentioned it with (Toto) Wolff. That’s why I dare to say now the way in which it was.”
