Valtteri Bottas appears to be a revitalised driver since joining the Alfa Romeo outfit for 2022, with the Finn frequently making it into Q3 and finishing in high-scoring points positions – including being in the upper midfield and mixing it up with his former Mercedes team. Having had a reasonably difficult 2021 during his final year with the World Champions, Bottas' performances have been particularly eye-catching given that Alfa Romeo were one of the slowest teams last year, and new teammate Zhou Guanyu hasn't managed to put in the same kind of drives over the course of his first seven races in Formula 1. Asked to reveal his thoughts after such a good beginning to his time with Alfa Romeo, a smiling Bottas said that he's in a "happy place" driving for the Hinwil-based squad.
Bottas: Alfa Romeo atmosphere is "motivating"
"I think it's been a good, good start to the season, like the qualifying and race performances, you know?" he told media, including RacingNews365.com , during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. "I've been in a happy place in a way that I can really try and be the best version of myself and drive the way I want to drive. "The atmosphere in the team is so motivating – the people, how much they're now trying, and it's really inspiring for me as well. Maybe that pushes you too, even more, but yeah, it's been a good start to the season." Bottas pointed out he still feels there are plenty of areas for improvement going forward. "Obviously, things still are there that need to be better," he said. "We are still working on the race starts, which haven't been great. We're still working on the high-speed stability with the car, so that's not the limit for us, there's more to come, but, on a personal level, it's been good, but always can be better."
Alfa Romeo not left behind as developments begin
With Alfa Romeo's form not dipping noticeably as significant upgrades have now been introduced by the top teams – as well as Alfa bringing updates themselves at the Spanish Grand Prix – Bottas is thrilled to see the midfield outfit able to keep pace with the development side of the fight. "It is a great motivation for us as a team even to be able to fight with, let's say, bigger teams at this point – it is really encouraging," he added. "I can feel and see the motivation in the team, and it's the same for me. "We want to look at every single detail of how we can fight more often with them, so it's good."
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