Bottas: 2018 repeat would have cost me Mercedes drive
Valtteri Bottas suspects he would have lost his Mercedes Formula 1 drive with a repeat of 2018, but instead has rediscovered the love of racing that he lost last year.
Bottas failed to win a grand prix in 2018 as teammate Lewis Hamilton swept to the title, but put up a stronger fight this season and led the points early on in a year he won four races.
Mercedes spent the summer deliberating between the Finn and Esteban Ocon, who has since signed for Renault after Mercedes decided to continue with Bottas for 2020.
Bottas told Motorsport.com that his improved form this year, which included a career-best second place in the championship, was "very important" for his career and his mental health.
"If I've had a similar season to 2018, I don't the team would have continued with me," he said. "That's how Formula 1 works.
"It's so important for me and also for my general well-being. I've had much more fun between the races now, and kind of fell in love with the sport, which I maybe lost a little bit towards the end of last year.
"I'm really enjoying the driving and it's such an important season for me. Now I can happily say again I have many, many years of me, and hopefully still with that same development."
Bottas finished on the podium at 15 of the 21 races this year, a tally that would likely have been higher but for a crash in Germany, error in Hungary and engine failure in Brazil (that also affected the next race in Abu Dhabi).
That tally includes two victories in the second half of the season, compared to a dismal end to 2018 in which he finished fifth in the final four grands prix.
"I'm definitely in a very different mindset compared to last year," he admitted. "I was counting down the days that the season will be done, and that I can find a way to get myself back together and start fresh from zero again.
"The last month of last season, that felt like a long, long time."
Bottas's efforts to come back stronger in 2019 led to comments about 'Bottas 2.0' when the season started in Australia, especially as he dominated the grand prix.
Although his engine failure disguised results in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Bottas believes his strong form at the end of this season will aid his preparation for next year as well.
"It's nicer, and an easier way mentally to start the [next] season," he said. "I feel it's important to have good results, not only in the last few races.
"It's not 100% necessary, because I know that even after a bad season, you can start a new season strong.
"But it is just nicer, and also for the team to know that I can perform for the whole year, on every single race track, and then they know that I'm definitely upward for 2020."
Formula 1 won't go electric for decades - Todt
Mercedes looks to the future with its young engineers
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…