Valtteri Bottas, the ex Mercedes man, is enjoying a fantastic season with Alfa Romeo. Apart from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Finn has finished all races in the top 10. The Swiss team has already accumulated 31 points in the standings as compared to the 13 from the last season. This change in their form has come with the appointment of two new drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Bottas, the veteran paired with Zhou; the rookie is an excellent team formation for Alfa Romeo for their future. And for the first time as well, Bottas signed a multi-year deal with a team. A sense of security in a team for Bottas after all the years of hard work. This directly results from all the hard work he put in with the Silver Arrows. But the world champion, Hamilton, always overshadowed him.
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However, at Alfa Romeo, Bottas is receiving the king’s treatment. And he’s really pleased about it as well. In a podcast interview, Bottas commented on a statement which was, “You’ve brought a little bit of magic to this team, this year. You seem happier than you’ve been for a long time in Formula 1. Is that an outrageous statement?”
To which Bottas replied, “It’s not a crazy statement, no! I think it’s pretty obvious I’m enjoying the driving and yeah it’s good fun.”
Bottas’s decision to leave Mercedes and put faith in Alfa Romeo couldn’t have been better timed. Coming from the man himself, he is happier than he’s ever been in Formula 1. And it shows especially when he’s in his C38. With a bit of luck and consistent performances, a podium finish is not a far-fetched idea.
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Mercedes taking steps in the right direction
Mercedes saw a much-improved race at Miami as compared to Imola. The team put in the hours back in Brackley and reaped the rewards with significant control on the porpoising issue.
A P5 and P6 for George and Lewis, respectively, ahead of the ex-teammate Bottas. This is a step in the right direction for Mercedes. They just need to keep building on this if they want to keep their chances in the championship alive. And we have a feeling the first win for Mercedes is not far.
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