
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to STUART CODLING, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion
Since joining Mercedes at short notice to replace Nico Rosberg ahead of the 2017 season, Valtteri Bottas has been a key enabler of four world titles for Lewis Hamilton. But was that how Bottas saw his own career panning out? Probably not.
So what, apart from Hamilton’s once-in-a-generation talent, has held Bottas back? He’s fast, yes, but not always at the right moment. Marginal errors and slips of focus have proved costly, as he’s the first to admit.
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