Bottas aims to stay out of trouble in debut season

2013 F1 season

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Valtteri Bottas expects the F1 field will be even closer than last year and says staying out of trouble and getting to the finish will be vital.

Asked if this year will be as close as last year Bottas said: “I think probably even more”.

“I think everyone understands there cars now much better and many cars are just carry-overs and more developed,” he said.

“So I would expect to be even closer and I think that’s good because sometimes a driver can have more impact and it’s just better for the race.”

Speaking to journalists in Barcelona, Bottas said his priority in his first season was to make sure he finished as many races as possible:

“In F1 I’ve seen it’s so important to finish the race and to see the flag because if you want to take the points first of all you need to finish the race.

“So it shall be the main thing next year to always try to finish the race. That’s something I learned from just watching outside.”

He acknowledged he has some ground to make up after spending last year as a test driver: “For sure in racing situations, last year because I didn’t race, I haven’t improved. And the only thing to improve your racing skill is to race.”

“But I think before last year I already got quite a good level at least in the categories before in races. Normally all the races went well.”

Bottas added he is especially looking forward to some of the more traditional venues on the calendar:

“Myself I like a bit more the old school kind of tracks like Spa and Suzuka. I really like those nice, fast, flowing and a bit less run-off area, that’s always good, makes it more difficult to find the limit.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on “Bottas aims to stay out of trouble in debut season”

  1. I’m off to add this guy to the list of drivers I support.

    Good fun to see he’s playing down his expectations in public, while Frank Williams talks about him in the same sentence as Senna, Fittipaldi and Vettel (in the round-up the other day)…

    No pressure!

    1. dodge5847 (@)
      2nd March 2013, 16:32

      I do think that Valtteri has something special to bring, his practice sessions last year pretty much put the two actual drivers to shame, and they were both fast.

      1. I think Maldonado will get a reality check this year. Last year, his speed somewhat covered for his near total inability to bring home points. It’s okay doing that when you’re against Bruno, but if Valteri sticks to his plan, and is even reasonably fast, Pastor will be in trouble.

        1. Fernando Cruz
          2nd March 2013, 23:21

          Pastor could be in trouble even with Bruno in a second season with Williams and the same amount of track time. Bottas may be a star of the future and won’t lose any FP1 but he didn’t race last year.

          I wish Williams could have raced with 3 cars this year. I remember BRM racing with 3 cars in 1973, otherwise the pay driver Niki Lauda would quit F1 after just one full season with March, without scoring a single point while Peterson got a podium and some other good results…

    2. @bullfrog – he’s a Finn, they’re as cool as a Coors Light! All jokes aside though, Williams seem to think very highly of him, so for sure he has pressure on him – I think he’ll be just fine though!

  2. ibra (@ibraf1)
    2nd March 2013, 16:29

    We have a new flying finn!!!
    Hope that here we have the Hakkinen of the late 90’s and that we will forget raikkonen quickly!!!

    1. Raikkonen’s an unforgettable driver in this day and age

      1. Ibra @ibraf1
        3rd March 2013, 7:28

        kimi being overshadowed by massa at Ferrari, took all the respect i had for him…not to mention his struggle against grosjean on pure speed…

        1. I wouldn’t really take seriously any claim that Raikkonen struggled in terms of “pure speed”, when there is more value in Raikkonen beating Grosjean 207-96.

          1. I meant quali with “pure speed”, Kimi beated grosjean 10 to 9… one would expect more from a “world champion” like kimi

  3. Poor Bottas. Out of all the rookies he is by far the one under the most pressure. Hope he handles it well.

    1. he seems to me a lad who can handle the pressure, but certainly this years lineup deserves a car that can have a shot at podiums and a win or two @kingshark

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