Valtteri Bottas hilariously mocks Red Bull team radio blunder after Qatar GP mix-up

Valtteri Bottas has poked fun at Red Bull for an error during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend over the team radio.

Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull race engineer informed the Japanese driver, "Bottas opening behind. Bottas opening behind," to which the 25-year-old quipped, "I didn't know Bottas was driving, mate?" The cameras cut to the Finnish driver in the Mercedes garage looking straight down the camera and raising his eyebrows.

Red Bull was not the first team to make the error this year. During the United States Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, Racing Bulls told Isack Hadjar, "Bottas 2, pushing. Bottas now and then Leclerc 8." Hadjar responded: "Mate, stop with Bottas, mate. There's no Bottas on track. It's very confusing."

Bottas shared the clips on social media with the 'eyes' emoji.

Currently acting as the Mercedes reserve driver for 2025, Bottas is set to return to a full-time Formula 1 seat with Cadillac in 2026. He will join the American outfit alongside former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez as it makes its debut in the championship as the 11th team.

"From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different – something ambitious but also grounded," Bottas said at the time of the announcement in August. "This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision.

"It's not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid. I’ve had the honour of working with some of the best teams in the world, and I can already see the same professionalism and hunger here.

"This is an iconic brand with a big legacy in American motorsport, and to be a part of the story as it enters the world stage of F1 is incredibly special for me. I’m looking forward to representing the American spirit of racing on the greatest circuits in the world. I’d also like to thank Mercedes for their unwavering support and sportsmanship in facilitating such an exciting step.”

Bottas will join Cadillac with the experience of 13 years in the series. After making his debut in 2013 with Williams, the 36-year-old joined Mercedes in 2017 where he drove alongside Lewis Hamilton for five seasons before signing with Alfa Romeo/Sauber in 2022. Over his career so far, Bottas has secured 10 grand prix wins, 67 podium finishes and 20 pole positions.

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