Why settled Bottas doesn't care for 'version 3.0'

Ahead of his return to Melbourne 12 months on from the most impressive display of his Formula 1 career, Valtteri Bottas was asked a number of questions about a potential repeat of his Australian Grand Prix victory.

It was perhaps the most-talked about performance of the entire 2019 season: the fact we're still talking about it now being proof of that.

For not only did Bottas dominate the race, finishing over 20 seconds clear of the field, but it acted as an emphatic statement following a tepid and, most concerning, winless 2018. He followed it with a verbal warning shot to his detractors, infamously saying over team radio: "To whom it may concern, fuck you."

This was a hungrier, more clinical, and beardier Valtteri Bottas. Or, as he became known, Bottas 2.0.

The performance stoked hopes of a title charge from Bottas, only for his bid to unravel through the middle of the season. Lewis Hamilton kicked on to win his sixth world championship with ease, but Bottas was a comfortable P2 with four wins to his name, marking his best season to date.

Much of Bottas's transformation was put down to his preparations over the winter leading into last season. He went off the grid, returning to his native Finland. He changed up his training regime, coming back physically and mentally tougher than before. He even took part in a rally in Lapland for nothing but sheer enjoyment.

So if those changes led to 'Bottas 2.0', did the Finn implement similar measures for a 'software update' of sorts to Version 3.0 for 2020?

"I don't know about the numbers or versions. I don't really care about that," Bottas said.

"The only thing I care about is trying to be better this year and more improved than last year. I managed to make a good jump in my performance from 2018 to '19, and that's what I've been aiming to do again. It's still a work in progress.

"I had a good break, good disconnect. I learned the year before that it's important to step back, have more time to process previous years and things you need to improve."

Bottas was in Finland for some of the winter, competing in the Arctic Lapland Rally again, as well as making sure he "still jumped in an icy lake".

Bottas still faces the unenviable task of beating one of the most accomplished and talented drivers in F1 history, seemingly at the peak of his powers, in the same machinery

But he was largely based in Australia over the break, taking advantage of the warm weather conditions to continue his training, and spend time with new girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell - herself a professional cyclist.

Bottas was again able to find the disconnect that served him so well the previous year. "I was so far away from what is home for me in Europe, so far away from everything," he said. "You could actually be a bit of a no-one in Southern Australia, so that's quite nice, to do some things without much distraction.

"I started my training a lot earlier than I would normally do because I felt like it. I have been able to stay healthy and in terms of just hours and quality of training, it's been a super winter.

"I'm very pleased about the last couple of months, in terms of time off, preparation, fun, and training, all that being in a very nice balance. I wouldn't change anything for now on that side, and how that's going to help me in the season, we'll find out."

Bottas still faces the unenviable task of beating one of the most accomplished and talented drivers in F1 history, seemingly at the peak of his powers, in the same machinery. We saw on occasion that Bottas could beat Hamilton in a straight fight, not just in Australia, but again at Suzuka and Austin. Yet he lacked the consistency to do so on a regular basis, losing out to Hamilton on race day 15 times from a possible 21 last year.

"I need to be better myself this year in multiple areas, but especially consistency," Bottas conceded. "On my good day, when I get 100% out of myself, I feel I can do it. I feel I can beat anyone.

"But to be there throughout the race weekend, that's the tricky thing, and there are so many things that affect that mindset: preparation, your personal life, your fitness, your health. All these things need to come together."

And Bottas had a number of big distractions last year. Publicly, the saga surrounding his future at Mercedes as the team considered replacing him with Esteban Ocon for 2020 was unhelpful. Privately, he was dealing with the breakdown of his marriage, his divorce from wife Emilia being announced at the end of November.

"It's such a mental sport," Bottas said. "Mental performance is really the key, and whatever works for you and whatever mindset you need to be in to extract 100% out of yourself, that's what you need to do.

"How to get there, it's very individual. I'm finding ways to be there more often, and obviously it doesn't make any use what I say right now, what is the plan on its own. We'll see as the season goes on."

One thing both Bottas and Mercedes have acknowledged a need to change in 2020 is their approach to contract talks. While Ocon is now locked in at Renault, the majority of the grid is out of contract, while Mercedes will naturally be keeping tabs on George Russell's continued progression at Williams.

While neither the driver nor team is looking to rush into negotiations, Bottas said there was acceptance from Mercedes that it could not repeat the public nature of last year's decision-making process.

"The team said they learned about how we handled that. It was a bit too much unnecessary talk outside the team," Bottas said.

Bottas is ready for the fight once again this year. The progression he made from 2018 to '19 was both noticeable and impressive, but he was reflective enough to assess his own shortcomings and consider the impact of outside factors

"Everything should have just been kept internal. I think it makes things easier, and for sure we learned that the earlier the decisions were made, it's always better. If you have to drag it on for August, September, then it kind of builds up and becomes more of a distraction.

"If things are done a couple of months earlier, then it makes it a lot more simple, because all the speculation only ramps up towards August and September."

The uncertainty that comes with being in the final year of his contract is nothing new for Bottas, though, and not something he will let impact him.

"It's not affecting me in any way," Bottas said. "It's the same as before. It's not a new situation.

"It's quite interesting, this year with the championship, and then looking at next year with Formula 1 in general, what the cars are going to be like, the new regulations, and many drivers out of contract. But that's later on. I'm not thinking about it at the moment. My preparation has been very good, and not really changed in many ways being out of contract."

Even if he had a perfect scenario, running at the peak of his mental powers, assured of his future, and wholly happy off-track, Bottas still has to deliver when it counts against Hamilton technically in the car.

Once again, he is exploring all avenues and noticing areas for improvement in his bid to be just the third man to defeat Hamilton in the same car across the course of a season.

"There has been some kind of a trend in terms of where usually the losses have been, me against Lewis," Bottas said.

"I've been able to find those with the engineers, why it happens and how to fix it. Fixing it is a process, and so far I've made good progress with that.

"I'm really looking forward to the season, because it doesn't matter what I say here, because you don't get much points from talking. That's why I'm eager to get on-track, get racing and see how things go."

Bottas is ready for the fight once again this year. The progression he made from 2018 to '19 was both noticeable and impressive, but he was reflective enough to assess his own shortcomings and consider the impact of outside factors, learning how to better deal with them. The result is that Bottas enters 2020 more settled than he was through much of last year.

Ironically, settling is the last thing Bottas is going to do when it comes to his own performances, meaning any talk of 'Bottas 3.0' could, much like any software, quickly become outdated.