F1 Drivers Would Make Great Drifters and Bottas Proves It

There are several reasons why I think that to be true. First, consider Kalle Rovanpera's story. He's the 2023 WRC winner and has started drifting professionally recently. Then, think of all the companies that turned to "sideways action" to promote their products. Fifteen years ago, BMW would have touched the sport with a ten-foot pole, and look at them now.

About half a year ago, I was shocked and extremely happy to see Max Verstappen taking lessons from Mad Mike Whiddett. The Flying Dutchman had experienced something similar years ago but was only a passenger inside one of the two Driftbrothers drift cars. Both Formula Drift and Drift Masters Grand Prix have grown exponentially, and some people even consider these two series superior to the original Japanese D1.

And now comes this. Two more F1 drivers have jumped on the bandwagon recently. Just like Rovanpera, Bottas also hails from Finland. And we know Finnish drivers have a thing for going sideways. I used to have high hopes for him when he was still driving for Mercedes a few years back. And he scored quite a few podium finishes during his time there. Things haven't been going so well for him since 2022, but he seems to have garnered more fan attention.

His passion for the Australian way of living has increased his appeal, and I recommend you watch a certain Uber Carshare commercial he appeared in a few days ago. He didn't have a great weekend at the F1 Australian Grand Prix, as he finished P14. His teammate, Zhou Guanyu, was right behind him. But the two experienced a drift day at Calder Park Raceway, and it's not hard to imagine how things went down.

First, we can all agree that F1 and WRC drivers have god-like skills when using anything with wheels and an engine. While drifting has its particularities, it's not something unlearnable. In true Aussie fashion, Bottas kicks things off with a massive burnout behind the wheel of a Ford Falcon Ute. As far as I know, most drift competitions have banned the use of colored-smoke tires, but this is just a fun day at the track with no real prize.

I'll admit, the whole thing isn't quite as exciting as what Red Bull pulled off with Mad Mike. But seeing two F1 drivers going sideways in two purpose-built machines is still fantastic. They both look like they're having fun and would probably become masters at it in a matter of weeks if that's what they'd be aiming for. Given that I've worked with pro drifters over 50 years old, this sport could make for a nice retirement hobby for ex-F1 drivers.