Valtteri Bottas issues 'not satisfied' rally cry after surprise Cadillac shake-up

Valtteri Bottas believes Cadillac needs the "mentality" of not resting on its laurels now that it has simply got onto the F1 grid. 

F1's newest team remains point-less thus far after 12 rounds, with the best result being a 13th place for Bottas in the Chinese Grand Prix, with the team hanging onto the rear of the midfield across the first half of the campaign.

However, in recent races, Bottas and team-mate Sergio Perez have slipped down the pecking order, with the MAC-26 machine being out-developed by rival teams, including Aston Martin's AMR26, which had been slower at the start of the season. 

The team has also been beset by reliability concerns with the brakes and overheating, with CEO Dan Towriss electing to sack team principal Graeme Lowdon during the summer break, in favour of the more engineering-minded Marcin Budkowski, a former Alpine technical chief and head of aerodynamics at McLaren.

Reflecting on the position the team finds itself in, Bottas believes that Cadillac must look to improve its standing and not simply be happy that it is merely competing.

"I'm honestly a bit of both," Bottas said when asked by media, including RacingNews365, about the apparent difference in stance between the public showing that the team is doing well and Budkowski's assessment that it was struggling in areas.

"I think we've done really well. I think we've also surprised many people in that we've actually been able to race. But at the same time, there are always things we can do better. 

"We need to improve. We need to get closer to the midfield. We need to start seeing progress on the timing sheet, not just in the other areas; that's the mentality that we need. 

"We can't be satisfied if we start just being happy with what we've done and being satisfied; then there's no progress. So that's the name of the game again. We want more, and that's how the results will come eventually.

"One reason for the change was to have a technical person in this position, and [Budkowski] knows a lot about the sport. 

"He's seen a lot, and will just bring a different perspective and view to the team.

"I can't predict the future, but it can be a good thing, and time will tell. He's got all my support for his new role, and I'm definitely welcoming him in."