Bottas reveals how he got out of "negative period" during end of 2018

After a very unlucky start to the 2018 season, losing out to a win in Baku because of a flat tyre he got in the final laps, Bottas was demoted to Lewis Hamilton's number two for the rest of the season, as he helped the Brit in fending off Sebastian Vettel to secure his fifth title.

The 29-year-old got a lot of stick for his performance levels, and was denied another win because of team orders in Russia after he had put his W09 on pole position and had led for the entirety of the race.

His form dropped off even more in the final races, as he admitted in an interview with the F1's official website that he wasn't in the right headspace.

“It was quite a negative period, the way last year ended,” Bottas admitted when speaking to Formula1.com.

“I wasn’t feeling very positive about anything, especially Formula 1. But I managed to turn those feelings into more energy and a bit of attitude. I found a way to understand what I was feeling and realised that maybe I needed to prioritise myself more because in the end, I only have one career.”

'Bottas 2.0', as many people called him because of his new bearded look, dominated in Australia to take his first win, followed by another good win in Baku as he defended Hamilton. 

“I’m taking things day by day instead of looking too far ahead and really trying to make the most out of every situation. It was a bit of a wake-up call last year.

"Obviously there are different reasons that led me into that difficult last part of the year, but maybe there was a purpose – so I could find the next level for my performance by being in a different kind of mindset."

The Finn hasn't won a race since Baku, but he's already taken pole position four times this season, a career-best, as he sits in second place in the standings behind Hamilton.

Can Bottas have a strong second half of the season and take the battle to Hamilton?