Finnish billionaire Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, a long-time supporter of Valtteri Bottas, has expressed his disappointment after the former Mercedes F1 driver ceased all contact with him following the end of their financial relationship.
Aarnio-Wihuri's company, the Wihuri Group, was instrumental in supporting Bottas' journey through motorsport’s junior ranks and into Formula 1 with Williams.
This support continued even after Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017, following Nico Rosberg's shock retirement from F1, with the Brackley team entering into a commercial partnership with Wihuri.
However, when Bottas' earnings significantly increased after joining the Silver Arrows squad, the sponsorship ended in 2019.
It is from this point that Aarnio-Wihuri says all communication ceased.
The 84-year-old businessman made his feelings clear in an interview with Finnish publication Urheilulehti. His words paint a picture of a benefactor feeling not just ignored, but deeply disrespected.
“We stopped supporting Bottas when his personal income exceeded €1million, and we felt it didn’t make sense to support a guy with that level of income,” Aarnio-Wihuri stated.
©Mercedes
“It’s not a problem for me. But I do wonder about someone whose whole career depended on us – he stopped all contact.
“After all, we got him to Mercedes, he would never have got there without us.”
The implication is clear: Bottas owes a significant portion of his success to Aarnio-Wihuri’s early faith and financial backing, yet has seemingly forgotten the debt.
When asked about the reasons behind Bottas’ decision to sever ties, Aarnio-Wihuri admitted he was unsure but speculated it could be due to Bottas’ personality.
“I don’t know. Probably his character. He hasn’t said a word a day when he’s come up to me,” he said.
“In the world we’ve seen each other a lot, but we haven’t [greeted] each other.”
The lack of communication has logically left Aarnio-Wihuri questioning the gratitude of a driver whose career he helped to shape.
Bottas, now 35, found himself without a seat in Formula 1 after Sauber, his former team, opted to refresh its line-up for 2025.
The ten-time Grand Prix has nevertheless kept a foot in the door in F1 following his return to Mercedes as the team’s reserve driver.
©Mercedes
The Finn aspires to secure a race seat in 2026, when new regulations and Cadillac’s entry might create fresh opportunities.
However, Aarnio-Wihuri is skeptical of Bottas’ chances of returning to the grid.
“My understanding is that his career is over – in practice. And he’s getting on in years,” he said bluntly.
Bottas declined to comment directly on Aarnio-Wihuri’s statements when approached by the Finnish publication.
However, his legal representative responded, stating: “There are always two sides to the story,” while expressing gratitude for those who have supported the driver throughout his career.
While Aarnio-Wihuri’s contributions undoubtedly played a significant role in Bottas’ rise, the end of their partnership appears to have left behind a sense of bitterness and unfulfilled expectations.
For Bottas, his focus remains on proving he can still compete at the highest level—a task made more challenging by the strained relationships of his past.
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