Valtteri Bottas joined Alfa Romeo at the start of the season after a five-year stint at Mercedes, which saw him claim ten wins, as well as finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship twice, behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Although the Finn has taken a step back from the results he achieved at Mercedes, this season has proved a nice added value for Alfa, scoring 41 of the 46 points the team has taken home so far.
Bottas signed a multi-year contract with Alfa Romeo, guaranteeing himself a certainty about the future he had never had before, both at Williams and at Mercedes, who had always offered him annual contracts.
“This is the first time for me, because even with Williams it was always a year,” said Bottas in an interview with Motorsport.com.
“This is the first time that I don’t have to stress myself out and answer questions, because now for riders who don’t know their future, it will definitely not be pleasant.”
Bottas admitted that he felt more relaxed and was able to “fully concentrate on work” which allowed him to enjoy F1 racing better.
“This season is probably the most enjoyable so far,” Bottas said. “Ok, maybe you don’t always remember things, but I really feel like I’m enjoying F1 like never before.”
“When it comes to races, you have a lot of fun, especially in the middle of the pack and with the different race strategies. It’s easier for one decision to make you gain a lot of positions. It’s a different game.”
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C42
Photo by: Antonin Vincent / DPPI
“In the past, at Mercedes, we usually fought only one team, so we only focused on those two cars. Now, there are six cars that we need to be aware of. So that’s a good thing.”
Bottas said the environment at Alfa Romeo is “young enough”, as well as being “a little more relaxed” than Mercedes, which regularly fights for victories and championships.
“Of course, when I work, I work hard, but then when I’m out I can do whatever I want,” Bottas said. “Life with the team, in F1 and outside of it is a really nice balance.”
Bottas is a prolific social media user and posted a cheeky image on his Instagram account earlier this year, showing him bathing naked in a stream in the United States. The image, nicknamed “Bot-ass”, was turned into a print for a charity auction that raised € 50,000.
Asked if he could have posted the photo when he was at Mercedes, Bottas replied: “I doubt I would.”
“It’s also true that, off the track, I’m so relaxed and even though I like people’s opinion, I care a lot less than before. And it was a great photo!”.
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