Valtteri Bottas opens up on life before F1: "I became a sniper"

Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas has revealed that he trained to be a sniper during his mandatory military service between 2008 and 2009. 

Talking to the Red Flags Podcast, the 10-time race winner explained to its hosts - including former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner - what his time in the military looked like.

"You cheaped out," Steiner joked when Bottas mentioned he had "only got to do six" months of mandatory military service. 

"Because I was racing," the driver responded. "But in six months of Finnish winter, I became a sniper. Yeah, oh you know, like a... I don't think 'scout' is the right word, but the one who goes behind or in between the enemy."

Steiner continued to push on the subject, asking whether he would be asked to return. "They could, that's why..." Bottas began, before Steiner playfully finished the sentence: "You're not going back to Finland?" 

"Yeah," Bottas laughed. "I was a good shot. That's why they made me kind of a sniper."

Conscription for men in Finland is mandatory for those over the age of 18. Taking place at the Finnish Defence Forces Sports School in Lahti, in the short time Bottas spent in the military, he rose to the role of lance corporal. 

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

“Looking back at it, it was actually fun," he said, speaking to People.com. "But for sure, sometimes when I was there, it was not so much fun. Like when you're tired and sleeping in the freezing cold forest for two weeks.

“But to me, it makes a boy a man. That is kind of the transition for many people and to me, it did exactly that. You definitely learn resilience. You learn a lot about teamwork. Because you need to work as a team when you're in extreme conditions or situations.

“You learn self-discipline for sure. And respect, in a way, for everything. That time also made the small things in life feel more serious. Like having a warm and soft bed after some of the camps was a luxury.”

Soon after his time in military service, Bottas made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2013 before eventually moving to Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, replacing Nico Rosberg in 2017.