Bottas now understands Rosberg's 'bizarre decision'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
After Nico Rosberg's sudden departure from Formula 1 following his 2016 world title, Valtteri Bottas was brought to Mercedes as his replacement. However, in the five years that the Finn drove for the German team, he could never really make things difficult for teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas felt knife at throat
The fact that Bottas never really blossomed at Mercedes, according to the Finn himself, was partly because of the enormous pressure he felt at the team. In conversation with Finnish journalist Oskari Saari in his Talking About Me podcast, Bottas opens up about that pressure. "If you feel like a knife is being put to your throat, then that gets into your head," he said.
The Finn indicated that the sauna was an important way of relaxation for him. This way he could recharge himself for the race weekends. Yet even this did not always work. Bottas' departure from Mercedes did bring him peace of mind, and he indicates that from the moment he signed with his new team Alfa Romeo he could find peace.
Understanding for Rosberg
Bottas' predecessor at Mercedes, Rosberg, left Formula 1 in shock when he left the sport after winning his first world title. Bottas also thought it was a bizarre decision at the time, but by now the Finn has gained understanding for that decision. "Now I understand very well from my own experience why he did that," he said. According to the Alfa Romeo driver, it is very difficult to beat Hamilton.