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."
Share Or Save This Story
Who is Kimi Antonelli, F1 sprint polesitter at just 18?
Why Bottas has the edge over Perez in 2026 F1 return race
What if Red Bull solved its second-car problem with a paint job?
The good, the bad and the ugly from Cadillac’s F1 debut
Cadillac faces “biggest challenge” to close F1 gap, says Sergio Perez
Cadillac drivers identify the F1 team's next steps: "We need a second now"
James Vowles reveals huge Toto Wolff role in his rise to Williams team principal
Mercedes “disappointed” if ADUO affects F1 title fight: “No place for gamesmanship”
Is it now or never for Russell in hunt for F1 title?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. weighs in on Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch spat
HRC pausing Acura factory GTP program in IMSA after 2026 as part of expanded IndyCar effort
The good, the bad and the ugly from Cadillac’s F1 debut
Shane van Gisbergen to run NASCAR Truck race at Watkins Glen
The worst title defences in F1 history
How to make F1's 2026 rules simpler - and why Christian Horner was half-right
The big Stefano Domenicali interview – on the 2026 rules, Max Verstappen and F1’s future
Are F1's technical changes for Miami enough to ease 2026 concerns?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments