Bottas: I’ve taken my performances to the ‘next level’ in 2018

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas says he has taken his performances to the “next level” following a strong start to the 2018 Formula 1 season.

Bottas sits third in the drivers’ standings and is 30 points adrift of teammate Lewis Hamilton heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

He was narrowly beaten to victory by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain, while a strategic masterstroke from Red Bull denied Bottas in China following a late Safety Car. 

Bottas was three laps away from recording his first win of the season in Baku when he suffered a dramatic tyre failure. Despite his recent disappointment, the Finn feels he is driving better than ever.

“I feel with my time at Mercedes I am at my best so far because you can always improve more but you always keep working on the weaknesses and try to make positive things even better,” Bottas said.  

“I think from where I finished in the last couple of races I have been able to go on the same kind of path with performance so I will try to continue to do that.”

Bottas believes his dominant performance at last year’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helped contribute to his promising start to the new campaign. 

"It’s just all the learning from last year, race-by-race always picking up something. I feel like I went to Abu Dhabi to Melbourne with a similar feeling. 

“I know the team better and better and, obviously starting a second year with the team is very different to the first year, as you can just focus on the things that matter and it makes a difference. You always keep on learning. 

“Of course it was a great opportunity when you change to a new team, you meet so many new people with different views, with different ways of working and it’s a great opportunity for you to take yourself to the next level and I think that’s happening all the time now.”

The Finn added he is not dwelling on the fact he could have been leading the championship had he enjoyed better fortune in the opening four rounds of 2018. 

“It is possible but if you look at the facts we’ve only done four races and it is very early days in the season so there is much more to go. I don’t really want to say I could have or if I had it. This is the standings now and these are the points so I need to work and accept it.”