Former F1 star Ralf Schumacher has called on Valtteri Bottas to end his career as a driver and 'enjoy his life'.

The Finn didn't have a race seat last year after being ousted at the end of a pointless season at Sauber, serving as Mercedes' reserve driver and spending a lot of time racking up the miles on one of his several bikes.

Bottas returned at the age of 36 this year to be one half of Cadillac's first ever F1 driver pairing along with Sergio Perez, who also sat out 2025 after being demoted by Red Bull.

Predictably, both have struggled mightily in an inferior car this season, failing to pick up a single point all year as the brand new team continues to find its footing in the sport.

Schumacher: Bottas is a likeable guy - but his story is over

Schumacher, speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast ahead of the US Grand Prix, called for Bottas to step away from the sport and get back on the bike – and encouraged the team to pick up soon-to-be-former Haas driver Esteban Ocon in his place.

“To be honest," he said, "I have to say about Valtteri Bottas, I think he should get on the bike and enjoy his life. That’s just the way it is. If Esteban Ocon is an option and it is possible to have him, there is no doubt about it. I would definitely take Ocon immediately.

“I think Valtteri Bottas’ story is now simply finished. But once again, Bottas is a really likeable guy. So this should not be taken personally, but from a purely sporting point of view and based on performance, I would definitely choose Ocon.”

The highlight of Bottas' season so far has come off the track, the avid cyclist famously travelling from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to the following weekend's Singapore Grand Prix under his own steam on two wheels, knocking off some 260 miles of often unpaved roads between point A and point B.

Bottas not concerned about Cadillac future

There were some rumours earlier in the season that the American team might be looking to replace Bottas for next year, which he addressed directly at the time.

“It’s not the first time I’ve faced those kind of rumours," he said. "It’s a bit of a shame that somebody just makes up complete b******t, but that’s normal in this sport.

“I know my situation, the team knows my situation, and they support me 100%, so that’s why from my side it was okay in the end.”