“Alonso continues to compete at the same level as when he was champion”

We arrived in front of the Alfa Romeo motorhome and Valtteri Bottas was having a midday coffee while attending another media outlet before doing the same in MD. Despite his known penchant for the sauna, when he was told that the interview was taking place upstairs, he immediately asked for the windows to be opened because it was so hot. With all that you have, we started off with an entertaining conversation.

How are you? Could it be that since his arrival at Alfa Romeo we are seeing a different Bottas, more liberated?

“Okay, thanks. I’m the same as always, maybe a little freer. It’s true that the environment has changed, I run with a team of a different nationality, different customs, but my job remains the same, which is run. as fast as possible and try to work in the best way with the team”

Yes, but I’m sure he lives a different life…

“Of course it’s a different challenge, I’m not in the car fighting for the championship. It’s more to get points but the project is long-term and the motivation is to see the improvements that can satisfy the factory. Mentally it’s a burden, logically, but this the purpose of sport”

Last year, Guanyu Zhou and I must have talked here and he told us the importance of having him as a partner. How is your relationship with him? What are you looking for in a partner?

“We have a very good relationship with Zhou from the beginning. A lot of respect between the two with the aim of improving the car. I expect a fast man from a teammate who forces you to give your all.”

Is it a different relationship to the one you had with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes?

“The relationship with Lewis is logically different, obviously because despite being in the same team we are both competing to be crowned world champions. There can be a little friction but over the years with Hamilton, we have developed this relationship of mutual respect and now we can say we are friends.

But at that time, it was hard to make friends…

“Especially the first two years were difficult but it’s completely normal fighting with a driver like him”

Alfa Romeo seems to be more of a family environment. In Drive to Survive we saw a sadder Bottas. What is true in those pictures?

“Netflix doesn’t always tell the truth. It’s different now. I have a long-term contract and that puts less pressure on the results. But I certainly feel very comfortable here, everyone is very supportive.”

Changing the subject, do you see yourself running for more than 40 years as in the case of Fernando Alonso?

“It’s a great question even though it’s far. Because it’s scary how time flies, I made my debut 11 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I don’t put any limits myself. It’s very motivating to see how he’s still up at this point in time. his career. What we do as pilots is to continually set goals to improve ourselves. In this way you maintain the hunger to compete”

But is he expected to sign of that caliber?

“It really is inspiring. He continues to perform at the same level as when he was world champion. It is a good example of how to extend a career while maintaining good results”

Fast, Hamilton or Alonso?

“Hamilton”

Because?

I don’t know… (shrugs)

What are your future plans after F1? Would you dare the Dakar or the Indy500?

“I have always followed my passion and that’s how I take my life. But I love racing and that’s what I’ll continue once I finish my career in F1. Dakar? Anything is possible. I like it but I still think I have more year to consider it. Indy500? It will also be interesting for sure. We drivers like to try new challenges no matter how dangerous they are.”

We’ve already talked about podiums, can Aston Martin be an example to follow? In addition, in Monaco we found the land of Red Bull

“Aston Martin is the perfect example of how we can get from the midfield to the top. They have done a great job and we can certainly look back at what they have achieved. And we have seen the land of Red Bull and everything that the team all kinds of details to implement it in their cars”

How satisfied are you with the new regulation that tries to fix things?

“It’s being tight. Monaco was very tight especially. In the next two years we will see more equality working with the same regulations. Hopefully in Barcelona we will be good and also in Mexico we were very fast when last year. the start we’ve been waiting for to be honest. hopefully the improvements work and we can take steps forward. Podiums next year? I’d like to do them this year but we definitely have to do a big step next season

Urban circuits have more weight in the calendar. Do you like Barcelona? Because there is a lot of talk about creating an urban circuit in Madrid

“I love the more traditional circuits compared to the urban ones but I understand that in the end it’s all a business and therefore money rules”

To finish, what is Valtteri Bottas like outside the circuits?

“Outside the circuits I’m the same (laughs). I love cycling and everything related to nature. Simple things in life.”

thank you for your time

Yours

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