Lewis Hamilton 'Almost' Made Fellow F1 Racing Star Quit After Being His 'Wingman'

Lewis Hamilton's success in Formula One left his former Mallegenercedes teammate feeling depressed and considering retiring.

Valtteri Bottas joined Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in January 2017. He arrived following the sudden retirement of the 2016 world champion, Nico Rosberg. The pair remained teammates for five consecutive seasons.

During this intensive stretch, Bottas allegedly faced a huge obstacle mentally. His confidence dropped and he ultimately fell into a deep depression. The Finnish driver even seriously contemplated about quitting the sport altogether.

Years later, the two-time World Drivers' Championship runner-up gained the strength to address the issue. He opened up about the mental health struggles that consumed him.

A Wingman's Confession

In a candid admission on The Players' Tribune, Bottas detailed the toll of his time with the Silver Arrows. He felt awful being reduced to a secondary role.

Bottas revealed that he was initially glad and excited. He thought he could finally prove that he's the 'best driver on the gird.' However, that elation did not last long. He was specifically ordered to help Hamilton defeat Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in their first season together.

For the better part of his Mercedes tenure, 'Robottas' was often forced to sacrifice his own results for the team. Like any other F1 driver, Bottas yearned to carve out his own legacy but with Mercedes, he became known merely as Hamilton's 'wingman'.

'Do you know how badly I wanted to just say no?,' Bottas wrote. 'But I had to be a good team-mate. I let him through, and of course, he had an incredible season. He was the champion. I was 'the wingman.''

Bottas' Breaking Point And Resurgence

The situation reached a breaking point in 2019. Bottas admits his depression hit its absolute peak during this period. The mental weight became unbearable.

Bottas was ready to retire before the 2019 season even began. He felt he could no longer continue in Hamilton's shadow. Only a late shift in mindset kept him on the grid.

'I was definitely depressed and burnt out. I hated racing,' Bottas admitted. 'During that winter break before the 2019 season, I did not think that I was going to come back'.

'That winter break, I made the decision that I was going to retire,' he continued. 'Then I went for a walk one day in the forest. I walked in the deep snow for maybe three hours and I walked out of those woods with a completely different mindset.'

Admittedly, Bottas still finds it difficult to reflect on that part of his F1 career without feeling strange emotions.

'To this day, I have complicated feelings about it,' he confided. 'I don't know how to answer when people ask me about it, because Lewis is an incredible driver and a friend. I have no bad blood with Mercedes or Toto or anyone. But the whole situation almost made me walk away from the sport.'

Hamilton and Bottas secured five consecutive constructors' championships together in Mercedes. In 2021, Bottas finally parted ways with the Silver Arrows for Alfa Romeo. He joined the team as a lead driver, replacing Kimi Räikkönen. Currently, Bottas is with Cadillac F1 Team.