With Valtteri Bottas set to leave the Formula 1 grid in 2025, he is unlikely to break a remarkable record he shares with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The trio holds the unique distinction of the most podium appearances by any three-driver combination in F1 history, having shared the podium together 20 times.
This streak began at the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix, when Bottas and Hamilton were still teammates at Mercedes, and extended through to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. During this period, the most frequent podium arrangement was Hamilton-Verstappen-Bottas, which occurred seven times at various races, including the 2020 Hungarian and Spanish Grand Prix and the Bahrain, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and Saudi events the following year.
The second most common finish was Hamilton-Bottas-Verstappen, which happened six times, while the trio also appeared in the order Verstappen-Hamilton-Bottas on three occasions, including the 2020 70th Anniversary GP and the 2021 Styrian and Dutch races.
Interestingly, Bottas won ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen twice, at the 2019 Australian and US Grand Prix, and they finished in the less common order of Bottas-Verstappen-Hamilton just once—at the 2020 Russian Grand Prix.
Bottas’ replacement by George Russell in Mercedes’ line-up for 2022 significantly diminished the chances of this trio adding a 21st appearance to their record. Additionally, Bottas’ move to Sauber, now known as Alfa Romeo, and Mercedes’ dip in form meant that the trio would no longer feature together on the podium.
Currently, the second spot on the all-time F1 podium triplets list belongs to Hamilton, who appeared with Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel 14 times between 2014 and 2016. In third place is the trio of Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber, who shared the podium 13 times from 2010 to 2013.
Joint fourth, with 12 appearances, are the group of Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, and David Coulthard from 1997 to 2001, as well as Hamilton, Bottas, and Vettel from 2016 to 2019.
Despite his departure from the grid in 2024, Bottas may still have the opportunity to extend the record if he returns to full-time racing. Mercedes has confirmed Bottas as their reserve driver for 2025, and he retains close ties with team principal Toto Wolff. While the chances of him returning to the grid appear slim, there is potential for a comeback similar to that of Nico Hülkenberg, who returned to F1 full-time with Haas after spending time as a reserve driver.
Bottas could potentially use his reserve driver role to establish connections with teams like Cadillac, which plans to enter F1 in 2026, or seek a return with one of the established teams. Throughout his 12-year F1 career, Bottas raced for Williams, Mercedes, and Sauber, securing 10 wins and finishing as the runner-up in the driver’s standings in 2019 and 2020.
For now, though, the record of Bottas, Hamilton, and Verstappen remains a rare and unlikely achievement that may not be matched again anytime soon.
