Valtteri Bottas admits he has refound his “peace” at Mercedes after being confirmed for the 2020 season.
The Finn faced a period of uncertainty before and during the summer break as the Brackley-based team deliberated between him and Esteban Ocon to partner Lewis Hamilton next year.
It was perhaps that pressure which resulted in two difficult races for Bottas in Germany and Hungary, who accepted he was happy that the situation was over.
“I wouldn’t say the approach changed except that, for sure, there are no outside disturbing factors from that side anymore,” he told Crash.net.
“I don’t need to think about that, don’t need to make phone calls between the races, so for sure it only gives you a kind of peace for when you work at the races.
“I feel and I know I have the trust from the team for the end of the year and 2020, it’s a good feeling and we can really focus on the work, so it’s a better situation than what I had before the break.”
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The clarity now paves the way for Bottas to concentrate on potentially closing the 65-point gap to Hamilton in the championship while also holding off Max Verstappen in third.
“We’re going to encourage Valtteri as we did to go flat out, without getting ahead of ourselves,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said via Motorsport Week.
“This is still a championship that is not won, neither – not the Constructors’ nor the Drivers’.
“Both of them have been very intelligent in their driving and fighting with each other, it’s one of the strengths of the team and I’m very proud of how they do it.
“Therefore Valtteri is free to go and fight for victories and for the best possible situation in the championship.”
And as for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, where Ferrari start as favourites thanks to their power advantage, Bottas insists it is just another weekend.
“The approach doesn’t change, we still know we have all the chances to win here and that’s the only thing in our mind, how to get there, how to make it happen,” he stated.
“It’s the same mentality if you have the fastest or the third-fastest car on how you approach the weekend.”