Lewis Hamilton’s title loss at Abu Dhabi cost Valtteri Bottas his performance bonus

Valtteri Bottas has revealed that Lewis Hamilton's loss at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix cost him his performance bonus. The driver hinted that Mercedes pays its employees an additional sum of money if the team wins the title.

It is no secret that F1 drivers earn a lot, with most drivers drawing figures in the millions. However, even these guys receive bonuses for the results of their hard work. It seems that the Mercedes team gives its drivers a bonus in the case that they win the title at the end of the year.

In Bottas' case, however, he didn't receive this extra sum of money because his teammate Lewis Hamilton lost out to Max Verstappen on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Bottas revealed:

"Certain bonuses are tied to certain achievements. Luckily, I hadn't gotten anything in advance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't."

Being a successful F1 driver, Valtteri Bottas has no shortage of money. The Finn claims he has made enough money in his career so far to not have to worry about the future. He said:

"I don't really measure it like that but at some point, a moment came when there was no need to look at the bank balance anymore. Money is of course a big thing in Formula 1, but I remember where I come from and I have done quite well because of that."

Valtteri Bottas praises his former teammate Lewis Hamilton

Despite often bumping heads, Valtteri Bottas is only full of respect for Lewis Hamilton - his teammate who bested him on almost every occasion. Bottas praised the Briton for his work ethic and attitude within the team.

In a recent interview, Bottas spoke about the Briton's work ethic and determination. He highlighted the 37-year-old's championship-winning attitude, claiming he works harder than anyone else on the team. He said:

“I work very hard with the team, go over everything very precisely. But Lewis, if he hears I have been at the factory two days, he goes for three days. If he feels uncertain about something, he does something to fix it. I can only take my hat off.”

The Finn's partnership didn't go unnoticed, as Hamilton called him the "perfect teammate." The Briton praised Bottas' kind spirit, claiming that this spirit is what makes him a great teammate. Despite being no match for the 37-year-old, Lewis Hamilton has said only good things about Bottas' time at Mercedes.

Valtteri Bottas left the team at the end of the 2021 season and is all set to star alongside newcomer Guanyu Zhou in Alfa Romeo.