Bottas still chasing "ultimate goal" of winning F1 championship someday

In an in-depth interview with CNN, Valtteri Bottas has revealed that his ultimate goal in F1 is to eventually win a world championship, which would make him the fourth Finn to do so. 

Finland has the highest championship-per-capita rating, as four championships have been won by someone of the country with just 5.5 million inhabitants. Keke Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen and two-time champion Mika Hakkinen all did what Bottas has yet to do, but that doesn't discourage the 29-year-old one bit.

"I wouldn't change my position to anywhere else now," Bottas told CNN.

"I'm happy where I am because Lewis being Lewis, quick driver, he keeps me very motivated.

"I want to be ahead of him, me as a driver, you can always learn from another driver.

"The goal was to be a world champion and it still is.

"I'm still realistically on that path, there's still a possibility for that in the future so I think I've done quite well so far but of course, I want to win my goal."

Bottas had never won a race until last season's Russian Grand Prix, the venue of next week. Until that point, Bottas was the holder of a very unwanted record in F1, which was the most points scored in a career without a win.

He won two more races last season as he looked to pick up the pace significantly in the second half of the season, and eventually finished third in the championship on 305 points, only trailing Lewis Hamilton in first and Sebastian Vettel in second. He earned himself another deal at Mercedes, but he hasn't won a race this season. But that's more down to bad luck than to skill (particularly in Baku).