Bottas: “If other decisions are made, it will be for a good reason”

Impossible to avoid the subject in the Albert Park paddock. What the WHO now considers to be a pandemic did not fail to fuel the debates on the sidelines of the Australian Grand Prix, almost relegating subjects linked to the race to the background.

But, unfortunately, it is clear that the coronavirus is weighing on the general atmosphere, especially after the discovery of suspicious cases in several stables. But according to Valtteri Bottas, pilot Mercedes, the organizers are doing the best possible job in the face of the situation.

“As a team we're getting some news and obviously there's a lot of people monitoring everything and I'm sure the safety of all the team personnel, all the fans, everyone involved , is very important, and I'm sure it's taken care of and assured, confesses the Finn.

Et if there are other decisions for this race weekend or others, I'm sure it will be made for a good reason. So I don’t really know what else to say except that I really want to run. We are here to race, and if we are allowed to do that, I will be very happy. »

Confident for the holding of the Grand Prix, the outgoing winner at Albert Park reminds in terms of competition that his Mercedes W11 could show a potential advantage with its famous Two-Axis Steering.

“I'm sure we'll use it on some straights, Bottas analyzes. It depends on the type of tour, the session... But we are always happy to have it in the car. We hope this can give an advantage, but again, we'll see.

Most likely yes, we will use it in qualifying. But we have to see. » Especially since there are possible complaints against the system, even though it was declared legal by the FIA ​​during winter testing.

“We will have to wait, but as I said earlier, we would be happy to use it, but it is up to the team to calculate the possible risk of having it removed, admits the driver of the W11 n°77. Long story short, yes we would like to keep it, but if there is a big risk we won't, so there is no big problem. »

Don't repeat 2019

Winner of the opening round last year, the Finn was unable to continue his momentum for the rest of the campaign, seeing Lewis Hamilton regain the upper hand internally at Mercedes and in the general classification to fly towards a sixth world title.

Valtteri Bottas therefore knows the main point to improve for him in 2020 to hope to fight with his leader. “It’s about trying to be at your personal best, your absolute best, and finding what it takes to get that mentality, that attitude, that freedom in the car, and that confidence, underlines the former pilot Williams.

And also find consistency for this over a long season. That's the key. You always learn about yourself, what works, and I really believe that I still learned a lot and that I can perform on average, better than last year. »