Valtteri Bottas believes his aggressive approach in the second half of the 2015 season sent a message to his rivals warning them he wouldn’t be an easy target in wheel to wheel racing.
Following the summer break Valtteri Bottas collided with fellow Countryman Kimi Raikkonen twice last season, with Bottas having to retire in Russia whilst he survived the contact to eventually end up on the podium in Mexico.
When questioned about this in an interview with Autosport.com he had the following to say
“Maybe the last few races I started being more aggressive,”
“Normally I’ve been known as a conservative driver, always bringing the car home.
“I still calculate every risk but at some point, there is the situation where it is better not to back off.
“It can either get you a good result or in the worst case maybe some other drivers know that they shouldn’t try that [because you don’t give way].”
This new aggressive and no backing down attitude from Bottas was a breath of fresh air from a driver many thought he had gone off the boil following the speculation linking him with a move to Ferrari at the end of the previous season.
“For me, it comes quite naturally because it had not been a great season.
“I wanted to fight for every single position and I also want to prove that I can race hard and I’m not going to give up. In some cases, I’m not going to back off.”
“I will keep my style as always, always calculating the risks,” he added.
“If I see a clear opportunity to go for it, I go for it and don’t back off.”
Bottas is certainly one of the talents for the future of Formula One and he could well earn himself a Ferrari seat if he continues to battle at the sharp end of the grid. Finishing fifth in the drivers’ championship last year shows he can consistently perform at the highest level.
