Valtteri Bottas says he grew at Mercedes and thinks Alfa Romeo are set for good year

Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas has said that he learned a great deal during his time at Mercedes and that he is expecting a positive campaign with Alfa Romeo having got his first two races under his belt with the team.

The Finnish driver spent five years with Mercedes between 2017 and 2021 but could not manage to win the championship, with Lewis Hamilton and then Max Verstappen taking the crown instead.

He’s in new surroundings in 2022 now, then, with him joining Alfa for the start of F1’s new era and he’ll be buoyed by the early gains the team appears to have made.

Indeed, the car looks like a strong midfield runner that can regularly challenge for points and, with it backed by the impressive-looking Ferrari power unit, hopes have grown within the team that 2022 is going to be a season of progress for them.

Speaking to People, Bottas revealed what he had learned during his time at Mercedes that he can now bring to Alfa, and also suggested that a positive campaign should await his new team:

“I’ve definitely grown as a person a lot.

“Obviously, I’ve learned how a championship-winning team works and what kind of mindset it needs. I’ve learned a lot about teamwork. I’ve learned a lot of technical knowledge.

“I think I’ve also learned to deal with setbacks.

“Sometimes, I put too much pressure on myself. I’ve had many ups and downs and learned how to bounce back. And I think it’s just made me a lot stronger person overall. I almost feel nothing can really shake me.

“I’m expecting a positive season for us as a team, but that will require a lot of work. I think it’s going to be a very rewarding feeling once we get the results that we want. I think that reward, that feeling that comes out of it, those moments are going to be