Bottas aiming to improve qualifying performances in 2019

Valtteri Bottas believes he needs to improve his qualifying performances next season in order to challenge for a world championship with Mercedes. The Finn has largely been a peripheral figure in 2018, playing second fiddle to teammate Lewis Hamilton in the latter stages of the season.

Bottas was resigned to playing wingman for teammate Hamilton at the end of the season in order for the Brit to capture a fifth world championship as soon as possible, something that he admitted was inevitable having underperformed earlier in the year.

"Performance-wise, we've been quite close," he told Motorsport.com.

Bottas is still yet to win a race in 2018, the only driver in the top three teams yet to do so. He came close in China and Baku only for unfortunate luck to take those chances away from him. Reflecting on a tough season, the 29-year-old identified qualifying as the key aspect he needs to fix in 2019.