Formula 1 | Valtteri Bottas’ plush mustache attracts attention, denies copying

Alfa Romeo F1 team’s press officer Will the Pony praises Valtteri Bottas from November, the mustache model became an impressive revelation when accompanying the Finnish driver to HS’s phone interview at the Yas Marina track depot in Abu Dhabi.

Bottas already attracted attention a week earlier in Brazil with his new look, when the beard was gone and the mustache was cut sharply.

English and Finnish fans have speculated whether the ex-Williams driver has copied those who appeared as teammates in the British team in the 1980s By Nigel Mansell or Keke Rosberg’s famous mustache models.

Bottas denies that he was influenced by either world champion.

“I haven’t copied this from anyone, it’s my own look. But I have to admit that, at least last weekend in Brazil, the mustache was pretty close to Mansell’s model when I looked in the mirror,” said Bottas.

Bottas comes with a mustache for the movember movement, which raises funds and raises awareness of men’s health problems, such as prostate cancer.

Bottas Saksi don’t ask for more advice without asking others. What a life partner Tiffany Cromwell then said when he saw your mustache?

“He started laughing, and claimed he didn’t recognize my face.”

Bottas will end his F1 career in the tenth season this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

On Sunday, as a new marker pole, he will drive his 200th Grand Prix race. More than Finns have only driven Kimi Raikkonen.

In F1 history, Bottas is the 21st driver to complete two hundred races.

“I remember when a hundred races were completed and even then it felt a bit big. Two hundred is starting to be quite a lot of GPs, time flies so fast here.”

The traditional Sauber, now known as Alfa Romeo, is among the top six in the manufacturers’ series for the first time in ten years. However, you have to fight all the way to the end.

“Before the final race, there is only a five point gap to Aston Martin. There are still challenges to maintain our positions,” says Bottas.

How about has the season been what you expected?

“If you look at the overall picture and the standings, maybe this is about what you could expect from the first season. I don’t think this has gone down the drain. You can expect more from next year, and of course I demand better from myself and the team.”

The bounce caused the biggest problems for the cars this season. However, Alfa Romeo found working solutions after the winter tests.

Were you surprised that it took Mercedes so long to ease the bump?

“Each car was designed differently and it’s hard to know the reasons why something was more difficult for one team and easier for another. But I knew that Mersu would find a way sooner or later, and Brazil was already a pretty strong performance from the whole team. I believe that next year Mercedes will be quite tough again.”

How would you have done with such a hard-to-drive Mercedes?

“I guess I would have done just fine with that. At the beginning of the year, there was a feeling that it wasn’t Lewis Hamilton was perhaps at his best level, but recently he has been amazing again in performance. George Russell has performed very maturely this season, and he hasn’t made many mistakes. It’s been a tough double sled.”

The starts have been Bottas’ biggest difficulty, and have eaten up a lot of points. What has caused it?

“At the beginning of the year we had a clear problem with the clutch, but it was improved in the middle of the season. The switch is still on very sensitive in terms of power. The operating window is so narrow that it is difficult to make successful starts. My teammates and I have had the same problem finding consistently reliable departures. It’s almost a game of luck at the moment when the switch is so sensitive.

Keke Rosberg, who won the world championship with Williams, is also remembered for his funny moustache. Picture: Martti Peltonen