Valtteri Bottas

We met up with Valtteri Bottas, the first person to drive the W09 EQ Power+. He also chats to us about his goals for the year…

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Valtteri, last year you had a hectic winter as you joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport at short notice. How was your winter this year?

This year I could really relax, focus on my health and my training. I did a lot of training, especially in January and February. I’m feeling fresh, healthy and fit for the new season.

You spent a few days in the factory in the past weeks. How would you describe the atmosphere in the team?

It’s always really interesting to go to the factory for the first time after the break, to see how things have been going since December. Even though people get some holiday over Christmas and New Year, there are always people at the factory working on the new car. It’s really interesting to see how the winter has been going, how the new car is coming together. I had a number of meetings with my engineers regarding the approach for the new season. I also did quite a lot of simulator work for winter testing and the season ahead.

You will be the first person to drive the new Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, our challenger for the 2018 season. How does that feel?