F1 News

Valtteri Bottas: “I’ve got some unfinished business in Sochi”

25 September 2019 at 09:55
  • Bevan Youl

Valtteri Bottas has said that he has “unfinished business” in Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix after missing out on victory last year to Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton having been instructed to drop behind.

Bottas in Sochi in 2017 and qualified on pole last year, leading the race ahead of Hamilton to look to claim his first victory of the season.
 
But due to the title battle going on between the brit and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel last year the Finn was ordered to fall behind his teammate finishing second, handing him the victory to gain more points in the race.
 
“I’m looking forward to it, I’ve got some unfinished business in Sochi,” said Bottas (quoted by MotorsportWeek).
 
“It has normally been a good track for me and I need to make sure it will be again.
 
“Obviously, it could be a good track for Ferrari with all the straights, but we’re going there with a good feeling and determined to finish it better than last year and in a different way.
 
“We all start from zero, and I’ll try to remember those good feelings from the years before and try to find that same flow I found there before and go from there.”
 
Thinking that the Sochi Autodrom will could suit Ferrari with the progress they have made the Finn believes that Mercedes could make an impact with ”some new bits on the way”.
 
“I think [in the race in Singapore] they weren’t the quickest ones but, for sure, in the qualifying they were and, in this track, that’s such a key,” Bottas added.
 
“So, we know they’ve made better steps than us, so all we can do is to try and make the car quicker.
 
I’m sure we still have some new bits on the way, but if it’s going to be enough, we’ll see.”