Valtteri Bottas "more eager" to now beat Lewis Hamilton after 'undigestable' title defeat - Toto Wolff

Mercedes

Bottas "more eager" to now beat Hamilton after 'undigestable' title defeat - Wolff

Bottas again played second fiddle to Hamilton this year

Ewan Gale

Thursday 17 December 2020 06:57

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Valtteri Bottas is "more eager to win" after losing yet another Formula 1 title battle to Lewis Hamilton this year.

Although runner-up to Hamilton in the drivers' standings, Bottas finished a staggering 124 points adrift after winning just two races compared to the Briton's 11.

It was the Finn's fourth successive championship loss to Hamilton, leading to him recently suggesting it was beginning to take its toll on him mentally.

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With what is expected to be one final opportunity with Mercedes for next season, Wolff is hopeful the challenge of defeating Hamilton would spur Bottas on further.

"I think, first of all, he is a hard, resilient guy," said Wolff. "Losing the title is not something that is easy to digest and is not expected to be easy to digest.

"But he has the unconditional support from within the team. I think from year to year, it makes him more eager to win.

"Winning against the best guy could probably be the most satisfaction a racing driver could have. But it takes its toll, it is to be expected."

Wolff could be heard giving Bottas a pep-talk during the final qualifying session at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, something he later revealed was as a result of discussions between the pair.

But Wolff has insisted the support given does not come from a single source.

"It is not only me he has this unconditional support from - it is all the team," added Wolff.

"He is able to pick himself up, he has a family that does that and then his team-mates, all of us."