Valtteri Bottas believes he is “hungrier” than Lewis Hamilton as he declares a two-horse race for this year’s Formula 1 crown.
The two drivers have combined for nine wins in the opening 10 races, although it is the Briton who leads 7-2 in that stat and has opened up a 39-point lead over the Finn as a result.
And while their rivals Ferrari and Red Bull are edging closer in terms of performance, Bottas doesn’t think it will be enough for them to stop a duel between himself and the reigning world champion.
“We’re not even halfway through the season. A lot can still happen,” Bottas said this week.
“It seems to be between me and Lewis. We have made a big gap to the rest but I’m focusing on myself and how I can catch up with Lewis.”
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So far this season, the trend has been for Bottas to be more competitive versus Hamilton in qualifying – leading 4-3 in the number of poles – but has struggled to sustain that performance in the races.
“His strengths, in general, have been in slow-speed corners, normally under braking and the entry phase and he can sometimes drive a bit of a different setup for the car that is easier for the rear tyres,” Bottas explained via ESPN.
“Those are the main things but he is also super consistent.
“I think his level of concentration when it comes down to qualifying is on a very good level, so he rarely makes mistakes when he needs to perform and he delivers when he needs to.
“So, for me, it’s still about finding the consistency on that and be on top of my game every single time and race pace, his race pace and tyre management is good.
“If there are differences in the race pace it is normally because the tyre is overheating on my side.”
If he can get closer to Hamilton in those areas, Bottas does think he has a key trait on his side.
“I think I’m hungrier for the wins. I think that’s a big strength,” he declared.
“I still haven’t achieved anything compared to my personal goals in F1, so I am definitely working harder than ever before.”