To Whom It May Concern...

September 29th, 2020

After winning the Russian Grand Prix last weekend, Bottas exclaimed possibly his most famous line, "To whom it may concern, f*** you." Fans were immediately taken back to the first time he shouted the famous phrase over the team radio in Australia 2019. So, what prompted the Mercedes driver to call out his haters on these two occasions?

Image via @ZohaibKA on Twitter

"Bottas 2.0"

Valtteri Bottas had a reputation of being the quiet, stoic Finn for most of his racing career. Much like former Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen, he was a man of ice-cold emotions with his average sentence containing no more than 5 words. In 2019, this quiet Finn affectionately known as, "Bottas 1.0" died and "Bottas 2.0" was born. A bearded, critic destroying machine was born. After a dismal 2018 season where he was unable to win a single race while he watched his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, win 11 races and claim his 5th world championship, Bottas faced harsh criticism. Many fans believed that he didn't deserve to drive for the best team on the grid. Esteban Ocon, a driver who was personally managed by Mercedes AMG's team boss Toto Wolf, seemed in a prime position to take Bottas's seat in 2020. 2019 was going to be a make or break season for Bottas's future in F1.

Photo via Motorsport Images/LAT Images

Bottas's first Formula 1 victory (Russia 2017)

Bottas started the first race of the season, the Australian GP, on the front row and promptly stormed to the lead, where he would remain for the rest of the race. He finished the race 20 seconds ahead of his teammate, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. Dominating the race in spectacular fashion, Bottas had silenced his haters, screaming, "To whom it may concern, f*** you," over the radio as he crossed the finish line. Bottas now led the championship over his teammate and proved that he could win and be a legitimate championship contender. When asked about his comment in a post race interview he said, “For whom it may concern, maybe they should look in the mirror sometimes and think actually why they do that. For me, it’s OK now,” he continued, "It just came, I just wanted to send my best regards. That's it. Honestly, I didn't think about it or plan it, it just came." In this display of raw emotion, Bottas had been reborn with a new confidence and a new found speed and determination.

Photo by Zak Mauger via Motorsport Images/LAT Images

Valtteri Bottas takes a 20 second victory over teammate Lewis Hamilton

Bottas would go on to win 3 more races and finish on the podium in all but 4 races in 2019. He finished the championship second, still behind his teammate but a comfortable margin ahead of the rest of the competition. So far, in 2020, Bottas has had an up and down season, winning the season opener but remaining winless until the Russian GP. During this winless streak, Bottas was receiving an immense amount of internet hate. So much so, that he began to reply to these hate comments on his social media platforms. Bottas had had enough. After storming to another victory in Russia, he once again addressed his critics, "I mean, again, it's a nice moment to thank my critics: To whom it may concern, f*** you." While this time wasn't as significant as it was a year ago, fans could see the relief and new found confidence in Bottas. In a post race interview Bottas addressed the radio message, "You know, there's been people telling me that I should not bother, I should give up, but how I am, I will never do that, so I just wanted to, again, send my best wishes to them."

Image by Steve Etherington via Motorsport Images/Lat Images

Valtteri Bottas wins the 2020 Russian GP

One of the most difficult aspects of competing in the highest level of motorsports is dealing with critics. Bottas's reaction was entirely unexpected but in no way unwarranted. In a way, it was refreshing. The once ice-cold Finn heated up and melted away his exterior. His reaction was very human and genuine. Mentality is a struggle, but Bottas has found his own way to deal with his haters and restore his confidence and put himself back on top.

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