‘More relaxed after the Mercedes period’: Finnish reporter reveals Valtteri Bottas is in a much better state of mind after his move away from the German Giants
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Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas left Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season, after 10 race wins and 5 seasons with the German team. He had cited the need for a fresh start somewhere else, and he moved to Alfa Romeo. Things have generally looked fine for Alfa Romeo performance-wise, and they have vastly improved on their 2021 self.
Of course, on the surface, it’s obviously a downgrade for Bottas. But car performance is not the only reason for Formula 1 drivers to go to a team. Bottas was always and was always going to be the second driver at Mercedes, being commanded to give away for Lewis Hamilton on a multitude of occasions. This is not the case at Alfa Romeo.
At Alfa Romeo, Bottas is clearly the number one driver, and he has the assurance of a seat for the future as well. The Finn definitely deserves the seat, and fans will be happy to see him continue to drive in Formula 1, as they were glad to see him happier once he had left Mercedes, and he has said before that it was not a very relaxed atmosphere.
In conversation with Formule1.nl, Finnish reporter Mervi Kallio said that Valtteri Bottas is much more relaxed at Alfa Romeo. Of course, he will not be fighting for wins anytime soon, but he has performed admirably at Alfa Romeo, even though he has stated before that there is need for improvement in the car’s performance. He also likely has an easier time at Alfa Romeo than he did at Mercedes.
“Finnish drivers may have an image of being cool and unflappable, thanks to Iceman Kimi Räikkönen and two-time champion Mika Häkkinen, but of course, they are still people. They don’t find it easy to learn all the time either and hear that people think they are not doing their job properly.”
In contrast with Kimi Raikkonen, who was much more laid-back and relaxed regarding pretty much…everything, Bottas is different: “I don’t know if I would call him more emotional, but things get more under his skin with Valtteri.”
She continued: “He is clearly more relaxed now that he is away from Mercedes. He has also always said that he wanted clarity about his future, a contract for several years, without always wondering if he would be back the following year. With a three-year deal in his pocket, he now has it. Though that’s not the only thing.“ adding that he is clearly the leader at Alfa Romeo sees him as a pillar to build on for the future.
Valtteri Bottas is currently 9th in the Driver’s Standings, with 46 points, but he has not scored a point in the last four races and retired twice as well. Reliability issues have been a big issue for Alfa Romeo this year, as has been the case for their engine supplier, Ferrari. They will be hoping to overcome them in the second part of the season.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)