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Alfa Romeo team principal Fredrick Vasseur says Valtteri Bottas has done “the perfect job” since arriving at the Hinwil-based team at the start of the season. Vasseur has revealed that the Finn’s input has been crucial in helping the team find its way out of difficult situations.
Speaking to the media, the Frenchman said:
“For me, he has done the perfect job from the start of the season. We had some issues at the start of the season as we lacked mileage over winter testing, but he has done a fantastic job in the car. But his value for the team is much more outside of the car. He is always thinking about the team and not about himself, trying to get the best from the team. This is the non-visible part of the job and for me, it is bigger.”
Valtteri Bottas moved to Alfa Romeo earlier this season after five years with Mercedes. Throughout his time with the Silver Arrows, he accumulated 10 race victories, 20 pole positions, and 57 more podiums, and played a crucial role in helping the team achieve a record eight consecutive F1 world titles.
He, however, never managed to challenge teammate Lewis Hamilton for the title. He was always expected to play second fiddle to the Briton and often aided the latter’s championship campaigns.
Vasseur believes Bottas was in “Hamilton’s shadow” at Mercedes and could never realize his natural leadership potential. He says he wasn’t surprised at how the Finn integrated himself with his new team and said:
“I don’t want to make any comparison with Mercedes because they are [eight-time] constructors’ champions in a row, but he was always in the shadow of Lewis [Hamilton]. I was convinced he would be a different guy as a leader, and I think he is looking in this direction.”
“Hard to ascertain” the value of Valtteri Bottas’ contribution outside of the cockpit: Alfa Romeo boss
Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur has revealed that Valtteri Bottas' arrival at Alfa Romeo has led to a boost in morale within the Swiss outfit. Given the team’s comparatively smaller size, Vasseur felt that a morale boost has helped get more out of everyone within the team, thereby positively impacting the team’s overall performance. He said:
“We have far fewer staff than other teams, so we need to get the best from everybody and on this, again, [Bottas] is doing a fantastic job because he is convinced, he needs to be part of the motivation. Each time he is with us, he goes on stage, speaking to everybody.”
Vasseur felt that Bottas' contributions outside the car were sometimes more valuable than his performances within the cockpit. He felt that it was difficult to ascertain the value of his contributions in motivating team members, regardless of how small the outfit was.
