Valtteri Bottas has expressed “mixed feelings” as he joins Alfa Romeo after failing to meet his primary goal of winning the driver’s championship with Mercedes.
Bottas joined Mercedes from Williams for the 2017 season, following Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement from Formula One, and has since helped Mercedes win five consecutive Constructors’ Championships alongside Lewis Hamilton.
However, he was never able to mount a prolonged assault for the Drivers’ title, with Hamilton storming to four consecutive victories before Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won overall in 2021.
Bottas, who finished second in the championship in 2019 and 2020, yet scored 10 wins and 20 pole positions during his stint with the Silver Arrows.
“Many, Many, Many Positives” – Bottas reflects on the 5 years journey with Mercedes
Bottas interacting with the media talking about the Five years relationship with Mercedes: “Mixed feelings! Obviously, when I joined the team in 2017, the only thing in my mind was to win the Driver’s championship, and that didn’t happen.
“But I need to look at the positives and I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a human being. I’ve learned so much with the team and we’ve actually achieved pretty cool things together.
“There’s many, many, many positives that I will definitely take on board.”
Pushed if he walks away feeling content, Bottas said: “I think in this sport you’re never fully satisfied, you know. But in five years, like I said, I’ve definitely achieved something – I’m sure that will help me in the future.”
Bottas is all set to embark on a new journey with Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen alongside Formula 2 race winner Guanyu Zhou and looks to prove to the audience his capabilities on the wheel starting March 2022.
