The Finnish driver says he approves of his role in Hinwil's team, as well as the possibility to "drive the way I want. The team's motivating atmosphere was also praised
Valtteri Bottas is a new driver for 2022. After leaving Mercedes and joining Alfa Romeo, the Finn has 40 points and eighth place in the Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship - but more than his results, he enjoys a leading role in the team from Hinwil.
A vitally important figure within the team and a protagonist - far from the "shadow" of Lewis Hamilton, as Frederic Vasseur himself stated - Bottas celebrated the strong start to the season and celebrated Alfa Romeo's visible increase in performance this year.
"It's been a good start to the season. I'm in a happy place in a way that I can really try to be the best version of myself and drive the way I want," Bottas said. "The atmosphere in the team is very motivating, like the people, how hard they are trying now... it's really inspiring for me as well. Maybe that pushes me to even more. But yeah, it's been a good start to the season," he added.
It's not all flowers, though. Bottas also highlighted the need for Alfa Romeo to work towards better performance in the initial shot of racing and, equally, in the balance issues of the C42.
"Obviously, there are still things that need to be better. We are still working on the starts, which have not been great. We are also still working on the high-speed stability with the car. So that's not the limit for us," he said.
"There's more to come, but on a personal level, it's been good. But it can always be better," concluded the Finn. Formula 1 returns in two weeks, from June 10-12, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.GRANDE PRÊMIO follows everythingLIVE and in REAL TIME.