Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, Circuit de Catalunya, 2018

Focusing on Hamilton would be a waste of energy – Bottas

2018 F1 season

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[smr2018test]

Valtteri Bottas says he’s concentrating on his own weaknesses rather than team mate Lewis Hamilton’s as he heads into his second season at Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso, McLaren, Circuit de Catalunya, 2018
2018 testing day three in pictures
“Every driver has weaknesses, that’s how it goes,” said Bottas following yesterday’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya. “But rather than focusing too much on him I’m going to spend my energy and focus on myself and my performance on track. And if I perform on the level that I’m aiming to every single race I hope that will do the job.”

“So I’m not going to start wasting my energy [on] any games.”

Bottas said he’d had a series of meetings at Mercedes in December and January to evaluate his performance last season. These focused on “the races, the conditions, the sessions I didn’t perform on the level I should have,” he explained. “And I learned a lot from those so definitely more focus has been on those.”

“But also my average races or good races, I want to make every area better. Definitely focus more on my weaknesses, that’s the way to go, but you also need to remember your your strengths.”

After a strong start to 2017 Bottas had a difficult second half of the year. “It was tough last year because I really wanted to perform after the August break and that’s when there was a few difficult races,” he said. “So that was a pretty tough time which I learned from massively.”

“But through your career there’s always tough times. I remember once, I was seven or something, a go-kart race, I was nowhere, I had no pace. I went crying behind a trailer because I was so disappointed. So things like this, many examples, which makes you stronger if you learn from those.”

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2018 F1 season

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Author information

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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23 comments on “Focusing on Hamilton would be a waste of energy – Bottas”

  1. Clickbait title.

    1. Not at all. Maybe you just see things differently.

      I read the title and what I expected to be behind it was there. I see some of you guys say that the tittle is misleading, but no, you expected to read something about a building war between the two team mates and you tricked yourself in expecting something else to be in this article.

      What I want to say, the title is according to the article, stop dreaming guys.

  2. Little bit of a sensationalist headline there!

  3. To the 2 comment above, funny enough i was going to say that opposite to MotorSport.com this was sensitive headline title!

    What they put there is beyond pathetic:

    Bottas won’t “waste energy” on Hamilton mind games

    1. That truly is atrocious

  4. This site doesn’t need that kind of headlines to attract “RaceFans”. Please, do not continue with this trend, Keith.

  5. Yep, very misleading clickbait-y headline and not the first time a thing like this happens on F1F/RaceFans unfortunately.

  6. There’s an old saying, “Practice makes perfect”. So, Mr Bottas, you need to put in lots of hours of practice on that simulator.

  7. Misleading title a bit as it was not quite the intention of what Bottas said, but sounds like he’s just doing what he did last year, focusing on himself and doing the best he can to improve.

  8. Shimks Delivers Earth-Shattering Insights

    1. I don’t see a problem with this article’s headline at all. Hardly sensationalist!

    2. Wouldn’t it be exciting if Hamilton really has to fight Bottas hard for the title this year!

    3. Yes, I am assuming Mercedes’ dominance won’t be changing in 2018.

  9. It just shows why I stopped using this site for 10 months and it shows you have not changed, Keith. As a fan a was very enthusiastic at first but your practices and targeting behaviour does not agree with the people you wish to retain. Be less biased and or grabby and you won’t lose our respect.

    Thank you!

    1. What? This is bizarre

    2. Zicasso….BYE BYE!

  10. For the life of me a can’t see what the problem is with @keithcollantine ‘s headline. Not whatsoever. You folks are really stretching to find something to criticize.

    1. One of the rare times I agree with you

    2. Same. It both reflects what he said and serves as a comparison to the relationship between Rosberg and Hamilton. Perhaps something got lost in translation.

  11. I don’t think your headline is sensationalist Keith. Well done on the good job (Y). Thanks.

  12. No, have to say I hate click-bait headlines, but I don’t really see this as one.

  13. @pyon, @blackmamba, @naylamp, @huhhii, @drycrust, @zhunterzz, @shimks, @zicasso @robbie and others:

    Well this is the most surprising response to an article I’ve seen in quite a while!

    I don’t think there’s anything at all misleading about the headline. It certainly isn’t the intention. And I think it’s fully justified by what Bottas said, e.g.:

    “Rather than focusing too much on him I’m going to spend my energy and focus on myself.”
    “I’m not going to start wasting my energy [on] any games.”

    So if those of you who don’t like the headline could explain why I’d appreciate it. I’m with those who are saying they have no idea what you see is wrong in this one.

    1. I don’t think its wrong, but when I read the title, it almost sounds like he could care less about Hamilton, while what he actually said is he’s going to be focusing more on himself that comparing himself to Hamilton. The games are what he’s not wasting time on, rather than Hamilton himself. Again, I don’t think its entirely wrong, but the main title just feels like it has more of a “I dont’ care about him” rather than, I’m not interested in comparing.”

    2. @keithcollantine Before this article was posted Hamilton just skipped a day of testing. Reading that headline I thought Bottas has started mind games by implying that the team shouldn’t focus on Hamilton at all during winter test. That was my initial reaction.
      I’m not a journalist, and English isn’t my first language but “Bottas not interested in mind games” or something similar would’ve been my choice for the headline.

      1. Well, I would say that Bottas not Interested in Mind Games is far worse because it implies that Hamilton plays mind games! :)

        I really don’t see anything wrong with Keith’s chosen headline. But it is very interesting to see the reactions of fellow readers.

    3. @keithcollantine sorry for the delay, but I think you misuntrepted my post. I said i found your headline quite sensible. And just as I write this, releasing my post above i realise i put “sensitive”… well that is a typo, sorry about that. Point is I have nothing against your headline, but i hated the one from motorsport.com.

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