Bottas: Beating Hamilton at every single opportunity will be key

Valtteri Bottas says that if he wants to beat his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton over the course of the season then every single opportunity is going to be key.

Until Barcelona, Bottas held the lead thanks to the single point he scored for the fastest lap at Melbourne. 

After finishing second to Hamilton in Barcelona Bottas says that he knows what he needs to do for the remaining 16 races. He does acknowledge that some of the circuits will favour their competitors and there will be an ongoing battle to develop the cars.

"For now, between me and Lewis, but it's a massively long season. There are many teams that, especially at some tracks are very close and it's going to be a big development race between teams all through the season.

"But if it's going to be me and Lewis, every single opportunity will be key.

"That's why (Barcelona) for me was annoying. I felt I worked hard for this weekend and for the qualifying, to be on pole, on this circuit where it means a lot and I lost it at the start."

Bottas says that he needs to move his focus to the next race in Monaco where there is another opportunity. He discloses that he feels like he has never had a car that can challenge at the twisty street circuit. 

"I feel I've never in my Formula 1 career had a good car in Monaco, it's such a unique track, you need a very special car in terms of how it works mechanically with all the warps and bumps, so it's a question mark how we're going to perform there." 

The Silver Arrows have not been the most competitive car on the grid at Monaco for the last three years but after their performance in the slow sector three in Barcelona, it looks very promising for the German team. 

"I would just hope that we have a good car there because it would be such a unique race to be fighting for the win, or win it. I've never been on the podium there so it's something I really look forward to."

"I live just next to the start-finish line, so it would be nice to have a good car there."

Replies (1)

Login to reply
  • Brilliant attitude and he's certainly stepped it up this year, impressed.

    • + 0
    • May 19 2019 - 09:19

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

Test calendar

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
13 - Mar 15
China
27 - Mar 29
Japan
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
1 - May 3
United States of America
22 - May 24
Canada
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
12 - Jun 14
Spain
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
10 - Apr 12
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Cadillac F1
  • Points 1,608
  • Podiums 61
  • Grand Prix 211
  • Country FI
  • Date of b. Aug 28 1989 (36)
  • Place of b. Nastola, FI
  • Weight 70 kg
  • Length 1.73 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar