Valtteri Bottas reflects upon ‘mixed feelings’ as he bids adieu to Mercedes


Valtteri Bottas reflects upon ‘mixed feelings’ as he bids adieu to Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas’ five year spell at Mercedes came to an end at the Abu Dhabi GP a few weeks ago. Bottas forged a brilliant partnership with Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows, as they won five back to back constructors championship.

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Obviously, for any driver, the ultimate goal is to win the drivers championship. That did not quite happen for the Finnish driver, as Lewis Hamilton was the first preference at Mercedes. The Briton went on to win four consecutive F1 titles, before losing out on a record eighth to Max Verstappen at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Despite of not winning the world title, Bottas has made sure his name appears in the history books. The Alfa Romeo bound driver won 10 races during his spell at Mercedes, and secured 20 pole positions. He reflected on the mixed feelings, as he bids adieu to Mercedes after five long seasons.

‘Never satisfied, but a lot of positives to take,’ Valtteri Bottas on Mercedes spell

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas stated that his main goal as a Mercedes driver was to win the individual championship. However, he was still happy helping the German side to win five back to back constructors titles. Moreover, he added that he had learn a lot during his spell at Mercedes, and his experiences will help him become a better driver.

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Mixed feelings! Obviously, when I joined the team in 2017, the only thing in my mind was to win the Driver’s championship, and that didn’t happen. But I need to look at the positives and I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a human being. I’ve learned so much with the team and we’ve actually achieved pretty cool things together,” said Bottas.

There’s many, many, many positives that I will definitely take onboard,” he added.

Valtteri Bottas opined that in a sport like F1, one can never be satisfied with their prior achievements. “I think in this sport you’re never fully satisfied, you know. But in five years, like I said, I’ve definitely achieved something – I’m sure that will help me in the future,” Bottas continued.

Toto Wolff has hinted that a potential Mercedes return for Valtteri Bottas is certainly not off the table. However, as of now, he will form a new look Alfa Romeo team alongside Guanyu Zhou in 2022.

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