Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has dropped an update on the contract talks taking place between himself and his team.
Bottas is a talented driver, yet one can say he has underachieved at Mercedes. Even today, we don’t know if he will continue at Mercedes for the next season. He has done well playing second fiddle to teammate Lewis Hamilton, but a driver of his calibre should do more. His predecessor, Nico Rosberg, managed to beat Hamilton and win the WDC, something he is yet to do.
His contract negotiations with Mercedes seemed to have lost steam. However, Bottas dropped an update on the same, saying contract talks are likely to take place next month.
Speaking via Zoom at the press conference in Baku, Bottas said, “First of all, we haven’t talked about it yet, because the championship is quite demanding and we know how important it is to have a certain peace of mind at work.
“Now the main thing is the pursuit of performance. But the time will come to speak. Time is limited, and I think we’ll talk to each other in the next month. From experience, I know that it is better to do it, it can be to everyone’s advantage,” he emphasised.
The sooner Mercedes informs Bottas of his future, the sooner he can make a decision. There is even a possibility of Hamilton winding up his F1 career soon, so Bottas could stay as the top dog.
Bouncing back
Bad luck seems to have Bottas’ number so far this season. He has failed to finish two out of five races, one of them being his terrible pit stop in Monaco. These kind of things could affect the mental strength of anyone. However, Bottas insists he won’t give in.
“Yes, my mental strength has been severely tested, in the last few races I had two retirements, but I have to react,” he said.
“I don’t want to give up, that’s the loser’s option. Mentally I still feel very strong and I know that the season will still be very long. There will be many battles and, I hope, also many victories,” he concluded.