Bottas on alcohol to clear his head: 'Worked sometimes, sometimes not'

In the Finnish podcast of Supla Bottas says: "The sauna is a sacred place for me. And yes, sometimes alcohol is used. Not so much to get rid of the pressure, but to clear the head and relax for the next race weekend. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't." In 2019 and 2020, Bottas had his best years in the service of Mercedes. In those seasons, he finished second in the world championship.

Bottas is under no illusion that he can become Formula 1 world champion now that his contract with Mercedes has not been renewed and he has switched to Alfa Romeo Racing. However, the 32-year-old driver does think he is facing a season that will be much more relaxed. "I can say that I have laughed a lot more since I signed with Alfa," he said.

Where Bottas had to play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, he now finds himself in an environment where he will have to lead his team. Alfa Romeo has had some difficult years in the premier class of motor racing and is counting on the Finn's experience. Moreover, Bottas has Guanyu Zhou, a rookie, as a teammate who will have to learn a lot.