Finn in SRF interview – Bottas: ‘I still dream of finishing on the podium’ – Sport

At the weekend in Spielberg, Austria, the ninth place out of a total of 22 Grands Prix of the Formula 1 season was listed on the programme. In an interview with SRF Sport, Alfa driver Valtteri Bottas talks about the season so far, his goals, his teammate Guanyu Zhou, the future at Alfa and the show item in Formula 1.

SRF Sport: How would you rate the course of the season so far?

Valtteri Bottas: It was definitely good that I managed to get a point in the last race – even if it was only one. We certainly expected more from ourselves up to this point, and we’re performing below average on our goals. We must continue to work hard and improve the overall package.

The good thing is that the season is still long.

Before the season you said your goal was the podium. Did you take too much?

I still dream of finishing on the podium. Unfortunately, this is far from feasible at the moment. Yes, we had big goals for this year. The good thing is that the season is still long. And from a certain time we will already focus on next year. We are in a “long-term development” stage, and we will not achieve our goal overnight.

On good days, Alfa can fight for a few points. Do you think that will improve as the season progresses?

We want to develop our competitiveness and get more points. Motivation is about making progress, staying motivated and pushing ourselves forward.

It is her second season with Guanyu Zhou. How do you rate its development?

He has definitely made great strides, a huge leap in his baseline performance. His confidence increased while driving, as well as when giving feedback to the team. Nice to see him improve.

I hope to stay with Alpha for a long time.

It also approaches you…

Yes. But this is what I need. You need teammates who are close together. This is how you can push each other.

What does your future look like – also in terms of Alfa?

I hope to stay here for a long time. this is my goal. I enjoy working with this team. The future looks interesting, there is a clear plan and I want to be a part of it.

with entry from Liberty Media Promotes Formula 1 in an American way. Do you like this Americanization?

There are actually more display items than there were 10 years ago. But it also helps to develop sports. It will reach more fans in different countries. I don’t think Formula 1 was as big as it is now. Entertainment is available, there are exciting races and plenty of excitement for the fans, also apart from the races. Of course there’s more for us drivers to do – it’s not just about racing anymore. But you do it because, in the end, you just want to drive.

The conversation was conducted by Michael Weinman.