Bottas accepts "I need to be better" after recent run of F1 form
Valtteri Bottas accepts that he needs to "be better" after a difficult run of form, but feels "full of energy" for the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Bottas entered the 2020 season aiming to challenge Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the world championship, but struggled to compete with the Briton throughout the year.
Bottas has not finished on the podium since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix four races ago, and was outpaced by Hamilton's stand-in, George Russell, in Bahrain last weekend.
The Finn revealed that he avoided looking at any news or social media in the wake of a disappointing Sakhir Grand Prix on Sunday, where he finished eighth, allowing him to reset for this weekend.
"When a driver is having a bad race, sure you have to deal with it," Bottas said.
"I've learned from the past that sometimes the best thing to do is to block everything and not look at anything, so after Sunday, I really haven't looked at a single headline or a single news article, or social media.
"That's the way sometimes you have to do it, and it worked for me. I feel full of energy again for the new weekend, and feel that I'm in a place that I can perform, so that's the main thing."
But Bottas accepted that he has struggled in recent races and not been performing at his best, particularly in the two Bahrain rounds.
"Since Imola, it's been a run of really bad luck, and I cannot remember the last time I was on the podium," Bottas said.
"It's true that I feel that I've not really been performing at my best in the last two races, but of course I still try to extract everything as I can.
"There's many factors in this sport and sometimes it's luck, sometimes it's what do you do yourself in the car and outside the car.
"All that I can say that I can do much better than if you look at the last four races on average, I feel that I need to be better."
Bottas had been sitting second in Sakhir before a safety car halted his pursuit of Russell, with a subsequent pitstop error then dropping him down the order, leaving him on cold tyres for the restart.
Bottas said it was a "tough" race for Mercedes, who recorded its worst results of the season, but was eager to hit back with victory in Abu Dhabi to close out the season.
"It started from the from the race start," Bottas said. "It could have been obviously been quite a different race. But yeah, it's, again, it's [something] through and it's all analysed, and I know what I can try and do better next time.
"That's about the reflection and of course, really happy that there's a race immediately a week after a disappointing race for myself.
"I know from the past, it's not everything to have the best race of your life or a positive ending to the season.
"But for sure, it helps. It would be much nicer feeling to go into the break with a with a good result, a race win under your belt.
"That is the only target for this weekend, back to a normal type of track and everything. I look forward to it."
Related video
Previous article
Mercedes made "minor" car changes to help Russell fit better
Next article
Russell insists he will drive for Williams in F1 2021
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Valtteri Bottas |
| Author | Luke Smith |
The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke
Pierre Gasly has driven superbly since demotion from Red Bull in 2019, but the team formerly known as Toro Rosso has come on strong too – building a car that can often challenge Ferrari and McLaren. Here Gasly reveals to ALEX KALINAUCKAS how AlphaTauri has given him the tools needed to rebuild his reputation
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to Stuart Codling, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion.
How long can Verstappen and Hamilton keep it clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But how long will their battle remain clean? Jonathan Noble ponders that exact point
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button.
How Red Bull's deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The Barcelona practice times that prove Red Bull has hidden pace
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Friday practice for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, but there was one major encouraging sign for Red Bull. However, making good on that gain will require Max Verstappen to avoid repeating a mistake that left him well down the FP2 order...
