Bottas wants to end Mercedes F1 career with “really special” fifth title

Valtteri Bottas says he wants to leave Mercedes having won the Formula 1 constructors’ championship for a fifth consecutive year,
Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 celebrates with team mate Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 in parc ferme.
Race winner Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 celebrates with team mate…
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Since becoming teammates in 2017, Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are undefeated with Mercedes winning the constructors’ championship every year.

If Bottas and Hamilton are to secure the title, it will equal Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello's five-in-a-row for Ferrari in 2000 to 2004.

Going into the final two races of the season in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, Mercedes leads Red Bull by just five points. 

With Bottas leaving the team for Alfa Romeo at the end of the year, he’s wants to bow out from Mercedes with a fifth consecutive constructors’ crown.

“It is important for me,” Bottas said. “Even though I’m leaving, I’m not giving up on any goals that we have for this year. So, a fifth title together in a row would be something really special to be part of, would be better than four. 

“So that's definitely a goal and it's also a motivation for me to keep pushing.”

While neither race went entirely to plan for Bottas, Mercedes had the quickest car in Brazil and Qatar, winning both with Hamilton.

The Finn is confident Mercedes can maintain its strong form into Saudi Arabia with the high-speed nature of the Jeddah circuit expected to play into its strengths.

“It was a bit surprising, actually, how good it was but now it seems like tracks with a high-speed content are pretty good for us and high-speed corners are also not too bad,” Bottas explained. 

“That gives us a bit of hope for Saudi. I think we’re in a good form at the moment, we’re having a good run, with good performance, so we need to try and keep up the good moment and the good work.

“We’ve learned a lot with the set-up, we’re setting up the car a bit differently, nowadays, compared to the beginning of the year, so we live and learn.”

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