Bottas grew up in Nastola and was drawn to karting at age six after passing an advertisement at a local supermarket. His childhood racing hero was fellow Finn Mika Häkkinen. After completing automotive engineering studies and mandatory military service, Bottas began single-seater racing in 2007. He won both the 2008 Formula Renault Eurocup and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup, the same double achieved by Filipe Albuquerque in 2006. Moving into Formula Three, Bottas won the prestigious Masters of Formula 3 back-to-back in 2009 and 2010 with ART Grand Prix — the first driver to claim the event twice. He then won the GP3 Series title in 2011, also with ART, securing four consecutive race victories in the closing rounds.
Williams signed Bottas as its test and reserve driver in 2010 before promoting him to a full race seat for 2013, partnering Pastor Maldonado. His debut season ended 17th in the championship but drew praise for individual performances at the Canadian and United States Grands Prix. In 2014, driving alongside Felipe Massa, Bottas developed into one of the championship's standout performers. He claimed six podiums that year, helping Williams to third in the Constructors' Championship — the team's best result since 2003 — and finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship ahead of world champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Further podiums followed in 2015 and 2016, including a remarkable unofficial qualifying speed of 378 km/h at the Baku City Circuit in 2016.
When Nico Rosberg unexpectedly retired after winning the 2016 championship, Mercedes signed Bottas as Hamilton's replacement. His 2017 season yielded three wins — in Russia, Austria, and Abu Dhabi — plus his maiden pole position in Bahrain. He finished third in the championship with 305 points.
After a winless 2018 campaign in which he was frequently required to operate as a wingman for Hamilton, Bottas rebounded in 2019 with four race wins. He took victory from the opening round in Melbourne and led the championship for a brief period after winning in Azerbaijan. He finished runner-up to Hamilton with 326 points. The pattern repeated in 2020: Bottas won two races and was runner-up again with 223 points, though mechanical misfortune — including a puncture while leading the British Grand Prix — inflated the gap to Hamilton. His final win for Mercedes came at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, where he pitted from second, undercut Charles Leclerc, and held on for a memorable victory he described as one of his best. He contributed to five consecutive World Constructors' Championships at Mercedes before being replaced by George Russell for 2022.
Bottas joined Alfa Romeo in 2022 on a multi-year deal alongside Zhou Guanyu. His first season there was regarded as his most enjoyable, with 49 championship points and a more relaxed environment than Mercedes. He helped Alfa Romeo to sixth in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since 2012. The team's performance declined over 2023 and 2024, with the rebranded Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber scoring only a single points finish across all of 2024. Bottas ended the season without a championship point for the first time in his career.
In December 2024, Bottas rejoined Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2025, undertaking a private test in the McLaren MCL60 under a reserve driver sharing arrangement. In August 2025, Cadillac announced Bottas as one of the two drivers for their debut 2026 Formula One campaign alongside Sergio Pérez.
Bottas is a co-founder of the FNLD GRVL gravel cycling event in Lahti, Finland, and became a co-owner of Finnish ice hockey team Lahti Pelicans in 2021. He co-owns Kahiwa Coffee Roasters in Lahti. His charitable work includes founding the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon in 2017. Nude photo projects in 2022 and 2023 raised collectively over €200,000 for charity.
Over thirteen Formula One seasons, Bottas recorded 10 wins, 20 pole positions, 19 fastest laps, and 67 podiums. His twice-runner-up status at Mercedes represents one of the most distinguished careers in the sport to have come without a world title, a fact underscored by his record points total for a non-champion.