Apr.28 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas could be about to become the co-owner of a Formula 1-ready race circuit.
Since leaving Mercedes at the end of 2021, the 33-year-old Finn has expanded his interests beyond the sport with investments in gin, coffee and property.
It is clear Bottas is also expressing his personality more freely at Alfa Romeo, even though team engineering boss Xevi Pujolar admits that his Chinese teammate Guanyu Zhou is not “on par” with the 10-time GP winner.
“There’s no reason to worry about my motivation,” Bottas told France’s Auto Hebdo ahead of the Azerbaijan GP.
“It has been rather more difficult than we had imagined during the winter and even in Bahrain – we are not where we should be,” he added.
“But that’s why after Melbourne I spent several days at the factory in the simulator to try to find the best possible correlation and put my finger on solutions for the next weekend.”
Nonetheless, Bottas’ outside interests continue to expand, as Ilta Sanomat newspaper reveals that he is in talks to get involved in a buyout of the KymiRing circuit in Finland – which went bankrupt last year.
However, the circuit is the only F1-ready circuit in all of northern Europe.
“It’s a tricky question,” Bottas said when asked if he is interested in investing. “The answer is yes and no.
“I’ve spoken to a few potential buyers about potentially investing in the KymiRing, so it’s possible I will. But first I need more clarity.
“I am still of the opinion that the KymiRing can be a very viable concept, and in any case I hope that a solution will be found soon.
“It would be a shame if someone wasn’t found to take it over.”
Ilta Sanomat believes the track can be bought for EUR 4 to 5 million, with a further 2-3 million then needed to upgrade it to MotoGP requirements.