Toto Wolff backs Valtteri Bottas to "come back strong" as pressure mounts to keep his drive

Mercedes

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Wolff backs Bottas to "come back strong" as pressure mounts to keep his drive

Russell won plaudits for his supreme display for Mercedes in Sakhir GP

Sam Hall

Saturday 12 December 2020 07:29

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has backed Valtteri Bottas to thrive under the pressure placed upon him by George Russell.

Bottas found himself overshadowed by Russell in last weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix, leading to question marks over the Finn's future with the team, even for 2021.

That is despite the fact the Finn has a contract for next season, likewise Russell with Williams.

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Asked how Bottas was coping with the pressure, Wolff said: "In this team, everybody needs to be a team player. If you want to go on your own, this is the wrong place to be.

"Lewis is a fantastic team player, Valtteri is and I have no doubt that George would be. So there is never a question about just putting yourself before everybody else.

"It's always a collective team exercise and we have built that mindset and these values are very much ingrained in us."

Calling on Bottas to dig deep within himself, Wolff added: "I think it is important for him to come out of this [weekend] strong and go into the winter with some tailwind.

"He knows how to put himself in a good place and he is such a hard, tough Finn. I just see it in his eyes that this [weekend] is going to be much better."

The atmosphere in Mercedes has become far less fractious and combative since the arrival of Bottas in 2017, replacing then world champion Nico Rosberg.

Reflecting on this mood change, Wolff acknowledged, "Yes, but it is not only Valtteri.

"It is a character, a personality. I think we all grew together, we all developed together and this team sense, this mindset has grown within us for a long time now."