Bottas wants to fight Mercedes: "We have what it takes"

After driving for Mercedes for five years, Valtteri Bottas was replaced by George Russell this season. The Finn signed a multi-year contract with Alfa Romeo and seems to be having a great time there. His goal? To beat former employer Mercedes.

In his years with the championship team, Bottas never managed to step out of the shadow of teammate Lewis Hamilton. The Finn finished second twice and third twice in the championship, but always well behind the seven-time world champion. The Finn often seemed unable to withstand the pressure of driving for Mercedes.

So it's not surprising that at Alfa Romeo he is much more comfortable and immediately performs excellently. At Alfa Romeo, they are therefore deeply impressed with Bottas. "It's not just his speed," chief engineer Xevi Pujolar tells Speedweek.com. "It's mainly his attitude. He radiates so much positivity that the whole team gets involved."

In Bahrain, Bottas immediately showed what he is capable of by qualifying alongside his former teammate and beating his replacement at Mercedes [Russell]. In the race, he eventually finished sixth and that would have also been possible in Saudi Arabia had he not retired in the closing stages of the race due to an overheated engine.

The current speed of the Alfa Romeo is giving Bottas a lot of confidence and the Finn is clear about his goals this season. Alfa Romeo wants to finish third in the championship. "We have what it takes to take on Mercedes and become the third power behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. That has to be our goal now."