Valtteri Bottas nearly walked away from Mercedes and Method One on the finish of 2018 after falling right into a “darkish place” at his failure to problem Lewis Hamilton for the championship.

When Nico Rosberg retired after successful title in 2016, Bottas was the person drafted in to switch him, however he struggled to match Hamilton’s performances in his first two seasons and infrequently discovered himself in a help function as his teammate battled Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari.

Bottas has revealed he was on the verge of turning his again on the game for good.

“On the finish of 2018 I nearly stopped. It was so shut,” Bottas advised Motorsport Journal’s “My Huge Break” podcast.

“Simply due to the very fact I could not perceive and take within the truth I could not beat Lewis in these two years. I put a lot stress on myself. In the direction of the top of ’18, particularly once I began to have the help function, I actually could not take it, I actually struggled. It was not enjoyable.”

When requested whether or not he meant retire from F1 altogether, not simply go away Mercedes, Bottas mentioned: “Sure, completely. I used to be performed.

“The human thoughts is unusual in a manner, typically you go into darkish locations and also you lose the enjoyment on issues. I misplaced the enjoyment of F1 and racing in F1.

“I used to be nearly indignant to F1, it is bizarre. I simply wanted a while off. Assume issues in a giant image and realised it is a fairly cool sport and I nonetheless have nice alternatives forward of me.”

Bottas mentioned the press to remain occurred when he was strolling in a Finnish forest in January 2019, simply weeks earlier than preseason testing for the brand new season would resume.

The choice to remain was vindicated. Bottas’ 2019 season is taken into account his greatest as Mercedes and it began with a win on the opening race, the Australian Grand Prix.

Bottas memorably marked the victory with the radio message, “to whom it might concern, f— you”, which he admits within the podcast was as a lot geared toward himself and the negativity he had allowed to creep in because it was to any of the critics who mentioned he shouldn’t be racing in what was F1’s most coveted race seat.

“Now once I look again at it was an ideal college for me, I realized lots about myself, to offer myself extra of a leash, to not be too arduous on myself. However realized a lot about all the pieces that I am actually glad it occurred.

“These type of moments, I simply need to inform folks to at all times have a look at the massive image in life. For those who really feel a bit anxious in life, take a step again, there’s at all times a lot extra to get in the event you do not quit.”