Valtteri Bottas is not yet thinking about the championship

“Getting this first victory gives me added confidence… Now it’s done, and I want to win again! » At the end of a Russian Grand Prix where his lightning start allowed him to definitively climb ahead of the two Ferrari de Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas did not hide legitimate joy.

Called to replace world champion Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, the Finn did not wait long to finally secure his first victory in F1, and thus equalize in 2017 with his teammate Lewis Hamilton, winner in China.

Enough to also show his new employer his ability to play the leading roles against the triple world champion and not pose as singles No. 2.

However, Bottas does not give in to excessive enthusiasm. “We are only at the beginning of the season, recalls the former pilot Williams. It is premature to draw conclusions.

At the moment we are not thinking about the championship, but about how to make the car better. This will help us get more wins, more big points, and ultimately, more chances to win the championship. But we’re not there yet, there are 16 races left…”

In the title race?

With two victories and two second places in four races, Sebastian Vettel is still leading the way in the Drivers' Championship, with an SF70H which is now a favorite along with the W08s for the world crown.

If the residents of the Scuderia, just like Lewis Hamilton, have congratulated Bottas for his success, the Finn expects the fight to strengthen over the course of the season, internally at Mercedes, all with the rivals of the German team .

“There are going to be a lot of battles between us this season and, on certain points, things will perhaps become a little more complicated. As the championship takes shape, there will perhaps be less talking and more fighting. »

Find the full report and analysis of the Russian Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondents in Sochi, in issue 2112 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version and on newsstands.