The AT&T Williams team today confirmed the appointment of Valtteri Bottas as its official test driver.
Valtteri, a 20-year old from Nastola, Finland, will take up the role vacated by Nico Hulkenberg as he steps up as a team race driver. Having begun karting at the age of six, Bottas has a strong record of success with seven years in the Finnish national squad. In 2006, he concluded his karting career by winning the WSK International Series Formula A, Finnish Formula A and Finnish ICA. In 2007, he moved to Formula Renault where, in 2008, he won both the Eurocup and NEC championships with 17 wins and 22 podiums from 28 starts. In 2009, he graduated to Formula 3 with ART and was the highest placed rookie, finishing third in the championship with six second place finishes and two pole positions in the 10-round Euroseries Championship. He also won the F3 Masters last year.
On his appointment, AT&T Williams Team Principal Frank Williams said, “Valtterri’s CV is very impressive, with a long list of success in the right junior formulae. We hope that the role
of official test driver in our squad will provide him with another step in his development. We wish him all the best in the Formula Three Euroseries this season.”
Valtteri said, “This is a great way to start 2010. I am very honoured to have been selected by a team as prestigious as AT&T Williams, one of the most significant names in the sport. This
is an important step in my career but now the real work starts to get to the top. I am sure I will learn a lot with the team and I trust that together we will achieve great results for the years to come. This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula One World Champion one day. I take the opportunity to thank Sir Frank Williams and the senior management of the team and also to thanks my management and my sponsors for all their work and support so far.”
QUESTION & ANSWER: VALTTERI BOTTAS
Question: How did you start in motor racing?
Valtteri Bottas: I started racing at the age of five when I drove a kart for the first time in Lahti in Finland at my local track. We were in the Lahti city area the summer before with my Dad and we saw signs for a kart race, so decided to go on the spur of the moment. We spent all day there watching the racing, and when it had all finished, I said to Dad that I really wanted to give it a go myself. Unfortunately I was a bit too short to reach the pedals, so Dad made me wait for a year, but he kept his promise. The following year, I had just one go and I was hooked. From there on, I bugged my Dad every day to go karting again and I just didn’t want to do anything else. In a way, it was complete coincidence that we stopped at the circuit that day as I had no other family connection or motivation to race. My father did recall that while I was watching my first race was the first and only time I sat still at that age, I was completely transfixed by what was happening on the track!
Question: With such a commitment to racing at such a tender age, did you miss out on other things growing up?
Valtteri Bottas: Yes, it was a sacrifice in some senses, but that was perhaps more my parents view than mine because it was all I wanted to do. First things first!
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