Bottas knows "final step" to beat Hamilton
Valtteri Bottas reckons the "final step" he needs to beat his Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Lewis Hamilton is improving the consistency of his performances.
Bottas finished second to Hamilton in 2019 – the best championship result of his F1 career so far – but although he showed strong form in the early and late parts of the campaign, a dip in the middle part of the season cost him in the title fight.
When asked what he needs to do to finally get ahead of Hamilton in 2020, Bottas, who scored four wins, five poles, 11 other podiums in 2019, said: "It's quite clear in my mind.
"We're definitely [working] with the engineers and with the team on my development programme.
"Things we're really focusing on [is] the race week and for my performance that final step I need is consistency.
"Still more adaptability to different circumstances [as well] but the main thing is minimising mistakes.
"There were some qualifying sessions where I made mistakes and that compromised the Sunday and then there was some races where I made mistakes, for example, Hockenheim, I lost a big chunk of points there so [it's about] trying to get rid of those.
"There's still a lot I feel I can improve. It's fine details here and there, a lot related to driving style and tyre management. But it's a whole lot better than last year.
"Minimising those mistakes, being able to find [the right] mental state that [means] I will be able to perform at my best every single weekend – that's the tricky part. Like in any sport.
"It feels like I have to dig very deep to find anything more from my side – how I can be a better driver, how I can perform better, how I can work better with engineers.
"It definitely keeps me working hard because it's just not easy to beat him. And it requires a lot. That's pushing me on every single day.
"I would really struggle to accept it, that some other driver can do something that I can't.
"I accept it completely that Lewis won the title [in 2019] because overall during the season he was better than me. He beat me fair and square.
"But I believe there's always something that I can do better and I can fix those weaknesses. Maybe I'm a bit more stubborn."
Previous article
Kvyat a "living example" of bouncing back for Gasly
Next article
Leclerc: I've still "a lot to learn" from Vettel
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Valtteri Bottas |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Author | Alex Kalinauckas |
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
