Bottas to be the “perfect me” for 2019 season

Valtteri Bottas has said that he needs to be the “perfect me” for the 2019 season in order to achieve more of his goals in Formula 1 and beat his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

In 2018 Bottas failed to win anything throughout the year and finished fifth in the drivers’ standings, whereas Hamilton compiled 11 wins across the calendar and the Championship himself.

Despite the bad results Mercedes have still kept Bottas on for 2019, but his seat could be under pressure from Esteban Ocon for 2020 after he was made the reserve driver for this year.

The Finn has been preparing over the Winter for this season and is prepared to go up and fight against Hamilton.

Bottas said (as quoted by Motorsport Week): "To fight against Lewis I need to perform at my very best and that comes together through many details driving wise.
"This winter I’ve been trying to attack and learn the main points. 
 
"There are normally trends that I have a deficit to Lewis at certain types of corners, why that is happening and how I can fix it. It is a long story, you don’t have two hours do you? 
 
"All racing situations, mindset, attitude, everything I will try to be the perfect me that I can be this year. I can’t tell you all those things but I want this season to be my best season so far and not to leave any stone unturned. 
 
"By the end of the season I don’t want to think I wished I tried harder or would have done something differently so I want to take all the opportunities."
 
With this motivation in mind he also went on to talk about how he felt he hadn’t achieved during his time in Formula 1 so far.
 
"Well first of all I still feel like I haven’t achieved anything in Formula 1," said Bottas.

"So for myself, I have a lot to achieve, and I do want to meet my targets. I do still have a lot to do in Formula 1. I feel I have nothing to prove to anyone else except me. 
 
"The team knows exactly what I’m capable of doing, but it’s going to be up to me, and for us as a team to work hard to be able to perform on my best level all the time. 
 
"I know exactly what I can do if I perform on my very best level."