Valtteri Bottas has an exciting new venture ahead of him after spending most of his Formula 1 career in the shadow of his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The Finn barely earned a chance to fight for the championship and mostly looked like a minnow against the seven-time world champion.
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Before the five-year Mercedes stint, Bottas was again just a second driver at Williams, with veteran Felipe Massa having most of the priorities. Therefore, Alfa Romeo team boss Fred Vasseur confirmed that Bottas will lead a team from the front for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
The Frenchman then also admitted that, unlike in his previous years, Bottas will have a great deal of responsibility in his upcoming move to the Swiss team.
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What did the Alfa Romeo boss say?
In an interview with GP fans, Vasseur revealed that Bottas will head a team for the first time in 2022. “If you look at this, Mercedes, they have won the last six or seven championships,” he said. “Sometimes they would have become team champions with just Lewis’s points.
Formula 1 F1 – Mexican Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 6, 2021 Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes celebrates pole position with Lewis Hamilton Pool via REUTERS / Francisco Guasco
“That means that when you start out and are Lewis’ teammate, you are in the shadows. Do not know what the expectations are. Okay, you have to do your best, but you don’t have mega responsibility. I think Valtteri is now in the phase of his career that he can afford. “
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Valtteri Bottas also has to be a mentor in 2022
Bottas will not only lead the team in 2022, but will also partner with a rookie with Guanyu Zhou. Vasseur therefore pointed out that the Finn had to push his teammate as hard as possible in order to improve his level of performance.
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“Okay, Valtteri, you are not just the driver, you are responsible for the teammate’s performance.” I mean, you have to bring your teammate with you, you have to push the engineer, push the factory, go into the wind tunnel, the guy in the simulator motivate, ”he said.
Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN during Formula 1 testing at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Hasan Bratic / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“If you think someone has been lying a little bit down for 10 weeks in a row, go behind them and say, ‘Guys, wake up, let’s push.’ This position is critical and Valtteri is ready to do these things. “
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Overall, a huge responsibility rests in the hands of Bottas in the midst of what may be a game-changing season for Alfa Romeo. So will the 10-time Grand Prix winner play a practical role in reviving the team led by Sauber in the upper midfield?
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