Valtteri’s experience Bottas in Mercedes it basically went as it should: the Finn often played an important role as second guide, but Lewis Hamilton’s leadership in terms of charisma and results was never questioned in the five years he spent with Brackley. Having arrived in Mercedes as a replacement for Nico Rosberg, Bottas was chosen from the beginning as a “fireman” after the internal war that the team experienced in 2016. The Finn, for this reason, also attracted criticism from the fans Ferrari and more, just think of the term butler used by the then team principal Maurizio Arrivabene in 2018. But precisely in the two-year period 2017-18 Woodman lived in his illusion: despite results not up to his expectations, he believed he had been called by Mercedes as a contender for the title.
“Especially the first two years I was very, very hard on myself. I wanted everything right away, and then it was hard to swallow the fact that I didn’t manage to win the title. I have been very hard on myself, and certainly sometimes a little more calm would have helped“, These are the words of the Finn in an interview with RaceFans. In 2022, fans were able to see a different Bottas: of course, always not very aggressive on the track, but at least calm and at peace with himself. The # 77 explained the transition from a top-tier team to one that has to fight for points every Sunday: “Obviously it is a different context. At the moment we are not fighting for victories or world titles. I feel a little less pressure both for the performance of the car and for the environment that has been created in the team. For the rest, not many things have changed: I always try to get 100% out, the team does the same. Now you have to accept the fact that we are aiming for the years to come: nothing happens overnight. The team cannot move from eighth to first. It will take some time, also because all the teams want to improve quickly“.
In Alfa Romeo there will be one more incentive to level up: the arrival of Audi, scheduled for 2026, complete with a change of name. In order not to be caught unprepared for the appointment, the team will be called upon to develop the car more uniformly than in 2022, where the good base of the car has only been convincingly improved in Mexico City.
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