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The trope of Valtteri Bottas coming back stronger than ever after working on himself during the winter is now part of the furniture of Formula 1’s pre-season. It’s to his credit that after four seasons being resoundingly beaten by Lewis Hamilton that he’s still driving himself on.
The 31-year-old says winning the world championship remains his ultimate goal. While some might mock what they perceive as a delusion, that belief is a powerful weapon.
When asked about his approach, Bottas has talked of the potential benefits of a ‘happy head’ and he’s right to invest effort in the mental side of his game given how critical that is in elite sport.
The pressure is intense. Yet again, he finds himself without a confirmed place at Mercedes for the following season and despite his claim that he is in “no rush” to get a 2022 deal with the team secured, it’s very obvious that doing so as soon as possible is a priority. There is a lack of hurry because the situation does not allow him to force it.
But Bottas knows it will be a combination of his on-track performances and potentially team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s decision on next season that will shape his future. He can only control one of those factors, so to maximise his chances he must perform on track.
“Some of my years in Formula 1, I’ve definitely put too much pressure on myself,” says Bottas.
“There’s been times that I’ve taken too much pressure from outside and, vice-versa, there’s maybe not been enough pressure on my side. It’s all about finding that balance and playing with that.
“I need to be self-honest with everything, and try and find a good way, and [have a] happy head for every single grand prix. But that’s the tricky part.
“That’s the same thing in every sport. There’s been not an athlete ever who has been completely 100% of their performance capacity in every single event they’ve done, but how to get there more often? That’s the question.
“There were many races that I could have done a better job” :: Valtteri Bottas
“Lewis has won the title all the years that I’ve been with the team, but still going into this new year, starting from fresh and with a new page, absolutely I believe that I can fight for the title.
“That’s of course the ultimate goal this season, and that’s my target. But there’s a long way until that, and you need to take it really step by step.”
Bottas is correct that a ‘happy head’ – and different people refer to such a state in a wide variety of ways – is essential to maximising his performance. But when it comes to his biggest challenge, taking on and beating Hamilton over a season, there’s a bigger picture.
Improving his mental strength – and despite the occasional low points when he’s been resoundingly beaten by Hamilton, he is robust in this area – can only make him better.
However, there’s a lot more to it than that. We know he’s a strong qualifier, beating Hamilton a third of the time during their four seasons together, and while there’s a little room for improvement in that area it’s not a fundamental weakness.
Instead, it’s in race conditions, specifically in tyre management, dealing with varying conditions, turbulence and wind. The more improvisational side of Bottas’s game is the main problem when it comes to taking on Hamilton – and that’s what leads to the downturns.
Improvements on the mental side could well help him to mitigate the weaknesses and reduce the chances of him getting into a downward spiral in races after setbacks. But critical to tackling the overall weakness will be improving his toolkit as a driver.
Given those weaknesses remain clear on certain weekends, it’s probable they will remain.
“Last year, there were races I couldn’t affect, but there were many races that I could have done a better job,” said Bottas.
“Still I think from my side, the big thing is the consistency. Obviously, many times I perform on the level that I want to, but then there are times that for some reason I don’t, and I feel like I couldn’t get 100% out of myself and the team around me.
“I think I’ve realised that a lot of that is the mental side of things, so really trying to focus on all the learnings from previous years and still working a lot on my driving style and technique and trying to perfect the Pirelli tyres.
“But I think a lot of the work and focus for me this season is the mental side of things and trying to be mentally at my best at the grands prix, and trying to find the right way of approaching every single grand prix weekend, and to try and find more often the flow state, and that way the consistency.”
Bottas won’t make public exactly how he is approaching sharpening his mental game, and there is no obligation for him to do so.
What matters is that he is willing to work on this aspect. That’s the great strength of Bottas, his capacity to keep going and continue to improve. That should ensure he’s better than ever this season.
Unfortunately, that is still not likely to be strong enough to beat Hamilton over the season.
Given he’s being benchmarked against one of the all-time greats, there’s no shame in that, but the laudable thing is the ongoing willingness to sharpen his skillset.
Doing that should ensure he remains a credible option for a Mercedes seat in 2022, despite the looming threat of George Russell, as well as a driver worthy of consideration by many other teams. That gives him plenty to fight for, regardless of what has happened in previous years.
“The most important part is to get rid of that mirror that is looking at the past,” says Bottas. “Once you’ve analyse things, then you cover that mirror and look straight ahead and try again.”
Bottas can’t be faulted for trying again. For that, he deserves respect rather than derision. But beneficial as a ‘happy head’ will be, that alone won’t be enough to do the impossible and match up to Hamilton week in, week out.
