Bottas feels he is 'driving better' than at Mercedes but 'you can't tell'

As you stake your future on F1, nothing is better than notable performances. Alas, Valtteri Bottas, whose contract with Sauber expires next December, is far from being in this position.

With the worst car on the grid in his hands, the Finn has indeed had a hard time showing himself. The results prove it with no points scored in 17 Grands Prix, only 6 times in Q2, and inevitably this 22nd and last place in the championship. Not really ideal. However, he believes that these figures do not reflect the reality of things in any way, he who is limited by his equipment which prevents him from showing himself more.

« This is how sport is, résumé-t-il. It's not just this season. If you look at this season and last season, when you're fighting from the back you have less visibility, in terms of what you're doing and how you're performing. It's more against your teammate that you can then make a comparison. It's obviously better to be up front and fighting for points. Otherwise, it doesn't necessarily help the situation.

Luckily there are still people in the paddock who recognise true performance, especially in the team. They know how we perform from one weekend to the next. That’s the most important thing. I just need the people who need to know, to know how I perform. That’s what matters. »

Does this mean that his level has dropped since his arrival at Sauber at the dawn of the 2022 season and his glory years at Mercedes ? According to Valtteri Bottas, it's quite the opposite! I didn't feel any sense of being less good., he admits. With experience you only get better, you gain consistency, confidence, you can solve problems in different ways, adapt more easily to the car… I feel like I drive better than at Mercedes, but you can't see it. » Hopefully the Sauber/Audi management will see it then, because the Swiss team is their last hope of still being on the grid next year.

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