Valtteri Bottas planning F1 stay for "multiple years"
Valtteri Bottas planning F1 stay for "multiple years"
Valtteri Bottas is targeting being in Formula 1 "for multiple years" in a bid to achieve his goal of becoming a world champion.
After seven seasons in the sport, and the last three with Mercedes, the closest Bottas has come to realising his ambition was last season when he finished second - and 87 points - behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas concedes this period of time away from F1, with the opening 10 grands prix either cancelled or postponed, has made him appreciate the sport more, and made him more determined to win a title.
Speaking in Mercedes' latest 'Deep Dive' programme, Bottas said: "Always when you can't do the things you would like to do it makes you appreciate it more, which is a shame, and I'm sure we can learn from this.
"I'm sure many people now in this situation have had things in the mind they would love to do, but they can't . "Maybe when things are back to normal, a good lesson for all of us will be to appreciate the things we are able to do in everyday life.
"I really want to continue for multiple years because I want to reach my targets. I really enjoy it, I love it. I miss F1."
Motivated by his title-chasing desire, Bottas added: "Since a kid, I've had this target in my career to be a world champion, and obviously I still haven't achieved it, so that keeps me going, and that keeps me motivated.
"Every single year that makes me want to do everything better than I've done before. Okay, you can't always get there. There are always ups and downs in your career, but those downs you need to turn into a strength.
"I think now, within myself, how things are in my life, and also in terms of my driving, and how we are working with the team, we've definitely found the right path, and I really feel the improvements at the moment. That's why I'm eager to get driving."
F1 is planning to start the season in early July in Austria, with the paddock strictly controlled in what F1's managing director Ross Brawn has described as a "biosphere"-type scenario.
As to Bottas' approach to the campaign, and to halt Hamilton's bid for a record-equalling seventh title, he added: "It is a different season for every driver, an exceptional Formula 1 season because everything is so postponed.
"Once things start, it will be pretty full-on, and you need to be in the rhythm quickly because we still don't have 100% confirmation how many races we are going to do, so maybe the season will be less races than normal most likely.
"So you really need to make every single grand prix count, and to find that driving rhythm and be on the pace from the first weekend onwards, that's going to be the key.
"So yeah, trying to be as ready to jump in the car whenever it will happen. It's a very specific and very strange season ahead, for sure."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Shanghai
- 6 minutes ago
Hamilton opens up on Wolff talks over Ferrari move as Verstappen SLAMS F1 decision - GPFans F1 Recap
- Today 00:27
F1 Sprint Qualifying Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 23:27
Marko suggests 'exciting' move to REPLACE Ricciardo
- Yesterday 22:57
F1 Practice Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 22:27
2024 Sprint changes show F1 is listening to fix imperfect format
- Yesterday 21:57
Related news
Wolff 'p*****' by Verstappen error as star makes Mercedes debut
Hamilton to open Wolff talks at Mercedes amid Ferrari F1 move uncertainty
Mercedes announce MAJOR £5.9 million loss in profits
Verstappen admits new Mercedes relationship with F1 future update
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