Wolff praises Bottas for season recovery
Wolff praises Bottas for season recovery
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has praised the way in which Valtteri Bottas pulled himself out of a mid-season slump during 2017, and believes the increase in fortunes for the Finn are down to 'personal improvements' made on the track in a 'diva' of a vehicle.
Following the summer break, Bottas endured a tough time and only managed two podium places in six races while his team-mate Lewis Hamilton claimed the flag in five out of six, which propelled the Englishman towards eventually claiming the world championship.
The final three races saw Bottas improve drastically and he went on to secure two podium spots, two poles, and a Grand Prix victory in Abu Dhabi. Wolff has praised his driver for pulling himself out of the downturn.
“I think carrying all of the momentum with a race win through the winter after a difficult time is probably for him just what the doctor ordered,” Wolff said.
“The best ones are the ones that recover from bad moments.
“Maybe in a few years and say this was an important moment for his racing. The only thing we can do as a racing team is to stay transparent and fair to both of them. But eventually they are alone in the car. He pulled himself out of it.”
Wolff went on to claim that Bottas never allowed the slump to get the better of him and revealed some of the tireless work that went into improving behind the scenes, particularly on working with the 'diva' Mercedes W08 F1 car.
“I could never see visually that it was impacting him. He said that [it did] but I think with the strength of his character he tracked back,” he continued.
“Every race there was better performances. Brazil qualifying was good, the race less so. But he knew that. Then he delivered an exceptional weekend in Abu Dhabi.”
Change your timezone:
Latest News
FIA CANCEL important drivers' meeting after huge drama in China
- 51 minutes ago
F1 News Today: Red Bull and Verstappen dealt title blow as Red Bull dominated in sprint qualifying
- 1 hour ago
FIA stewards ROB Hamilton pole after bizarre U-turn
- 2 hours ago
F1 Sprint Qualifying Results: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 times as Verstappen stunned in rainy CHAOS
- 3 hours ago
Another bizarre fire STOPS action at Chinese Grand Prix
- 3 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton and Ferrari chief had meals together years before 2025 signing
- Today 09:42
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860