Bottas not happy with 2017: "I expected more"

  • Published on 06 Dec 2017 10:47
  • comments 3
  • By: Rob Veenstra

Valtteri Bottas says he feels disappointed at the end of his first season with Mercedes. The Finn won three races, finished on the podium eleven times and finished third in the championship, but his teammate Lewis Hamilton won the title.

Asked if he is happy, Bottas told AS newspaper: "I have to say not really. As a team it was very good, but on my part I'm not happy. I knew it would be a difficult job and I would have to work hard to get good results, but I expected more," he told the Spanish publication.

Bottas said Hamilton is "definitely" one of the greatest ever F1 drivers, but still thinks he can the Briton to the world championship next year. "Yes, but it depends on me increasing my performance and improving. There were times this year when I could have been faster but also times that I was faster than him, so I'm working hard and believe in myself," said the 28-year-old. (GMM)

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  • FatMike

    Posts: 153

    2017 happy with Bottas:"I didn't expect any more".

    • + 0
    • Dec 6 2017 - 18:40
  • If you look at the numbers it doesn't look as bad, but I still have a bad after-taste from this season. He had a few good races, but beyond that it was sub-par. Not as mediocre as Raikkonen, but still #2 driver level

    • + 0
    • Dec 6 2017 - 19:11
    • True, but numbers are statistics, and statistics doesnt always tell the truth. I dont really recall a single race in which he was a legit threat to Hamilton, apart from the races he won.

      • + 0
      • Dec 7 2017 - 11:07

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Driver profile

  • Team Alfa Romeo Racing
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  • Country FI
  • Date of b. Aug 28 1989 (34)
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  • Weight 70 kg
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