Valtteri Bottas admitted he was ‘really harsh’ on himself as he struggled to get the better of Lewis Hamilton during his spell at Mercedes. The Finnish driver could not match the standard set by his team mate while at the Silver Arrows and often had to content himself with a wingman role in order to help maximize the team’s points.
Bottas spent five years at Mercedes during a period when the team were one of the most dominant manufacturers in the history of the sport. The Brackley-based outfit won the Constructors Championship in each season he was there, with the 33-year-old a consistently quick presence at the front.
However, the Finn was unable to match the pace set by Hamilton and he was comfortably beaten by the Brit to the driver’s title on four occasions. His qualifying pace was often close to the seven-time world champion but he could not keep up on a Sunday, meaning he failed to achieve his own personal aims. He was replaced by George Russell at the start of this season and made the move to Alfa Romeo where he has relished being the team’s first-choice driver.
Now, Bottas has reflected on his time at Mercedes, admitting he feels he could have done better if he had been more relaxed.
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“Obviously it is different that we’re not fighting for wins, realistically, at the moment or world championship titles,” he said. “So that is a different feeling in a way that I personally feel a little bit less pressure in that. But also it is because of the team environment, that’s why I feel less pressure.”
Bottas will once again pick up a starring role for Alfa at Interlagos this weekend as they seek to hold onto their place in sixth of the Constructors Championship. The Swiss outfit sits just four points clear of Aston Martin with a tense end to the season set to be in store.
