Bottas compares Alfa Romeo to Mercedes: 'I feel a bit happier in life'

Valtteri Bottas has settled well at Alfa Romeo. The switch from Mercedes may not have been what he had wanted, but the new environment and the role he plays in it are doing the Finn good.

At Alfa Romeo, his input is appreciated and he has more or less assumed a leadership position alongside rookie Guanyu Zhou. This is something he was not used to in the five seasons he spent at Mercedes, where he functioned mainly as Lewis Hamilton's 'wingman'.

Bottas feels appreciated at Alfa Romeo

He is particularly pleased with the extent to which he is listened to. "If I ask for something it happens, and everyone really listens," he tells The Race. He describes a highly motivated atmosphere within the team and is happy that he can play a part in it.

He also feels that he is more than someone who drives the car. He is not only a driver, but also an important team member. He also recognizes that he could not have fulfilled the same role at Mercedes.

Bottas could not have played the same role at Mercedes

That, combined with his teammate's personality sometimes prevented him from having his say in the past. "I think in a team, Lewis is quite a dominant person in a way," Bottas says.

The new environment at a different team is therefore doing him good. "I just feel a bit happier in life overall," concludes the Finn.