Bottas Confirmed At Mercedes

BOTTAS CONFIRMED AT MERCEDES FOR 2019

    Valtteri Bottas will continue with Mercedes for a third season after signing a one-year contract extension, with an option for a further year.

    The announcement comes just a day after the team confirmed Lewis Hamilton will remain at the squad until 2020.

    Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017 after reigning champion Nico Rosberg retired. Since then, the Finn has taken three victories, including his first F1 win in Russia last season.

    “It is great news that I will be racing for Mercedes in 2019 and it is nice to announce it here in Hockenheim – not just the home race for Mercedes but also the circuit where I took my first ever single-seater wins back in 2007,” he said.

    “This year, with a full winter of preparation, I have been able to make a good step forward – and I believe that there is still more to come. We have not been lucky in the races this year but the team knows how I am performing, and this is a great sign of confidence in me and my driving.

    I enjoy working with the team, and also being team-mates with Lewis. We have a good relationship, honest and straightforward, and always aiming to get the right results for Mercedes.”

    Bottas currently lies fifth in the drivers’ championship, with four second place finishes so far this season.

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Mercedes Launch 2018 Car

(Image credit to: Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport)

    Mercedes has launched its 2018 Formula 1 challenger, the W09 EQ Power+, at a filming day at Silverstone.

    Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton both got a small taste of the new machinery, completing 100km of the British track between them.

    After a successful 2017, the new car is an evolution of its predecessor, with no major change in design philosophy.

    “We like some of the character traits from our diva,” said team principal Toto Wolf. “The W08 was the fastest car on the grid, scoring the highest number of pole positions and winning the most races last year. So we were careful not to lose the car’s main strength just to overcome the difficulties.”

    Like with all 2018 cars, the most notable differences are the lack of shark fin and T-wing and the addition of the halo head protection device, but the technical regulations have remained largely the same, which technical director James Allison believes allowed the team to make a more elegant car this year.

    “Last year’s regulations were brand new and we weren’t quite sure which direction they would take us in,” he said. “So last year’s car had a certain amount of wiggle room to adapt if we found that we needed to move around certain aspects of the car.

    This year, being a little more confident of what we’re aiming for, we’ve been able to commit more fully to certain concepts. So we have the packaging much tighter and have taken things to more of an extreme.”

    Since the change in engine regulations ahead of the 2014 season, the Mercedes power unit has been dominant. Though the manufacturer has never been able to stand still when it comes to engine development, “substantial” changes in the regulations have led to significant updates this winter.

    “The amount of change on the power unit for this year is quite considerable and driven by a number of requirements,” said Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains.. “The biggest challenge we’ve got is lifting our durability limit with the challenge of racing just three engines per driver per championship and two ERS systems.

    That’s a 40 per cent increase in the distance that the hardware needs to do for this year compared with last year. We focused on trying to increase the life of the hardware without losing performance.”

    He added that the team also worked to increase combustion efficiency and reduce hardware friction.

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Mercedes Confirms Bottas

VALTTERI BOTTAS CONFIRMED AT MERCEDES FOR 2018

    Valtteri Bottas will continue with Mercedes Formula 1 team in 2018.

    The 28-year-old joined Mercedes at the start of 2017 after the shock retirement of reigning world champion Nico Rosberg. Since then, Bottas has taken nine podium finishes from 13 races, including two race wins. He is currently third in the drivers’ championship.

    Bottas had initially only signed a single-year deal, but has now confirmed he will race with Mercedes in 2018.

    “As a driver, I’ve been able to learn and grow massively and we have already enjoyed some really good moments this season that I will never forget,” he said.

    I’ve been very impressed by the mentality, commitment and the team spirit this team holds.

    Partnering Lewis has also been really good and I’m enjoying the respect we have and the will to push the team forward together.

    When the team hired me for the 2017 season, they took a leap of faith by putting their trust in my skills. The new contract for 2018 shows that I’ve earned that trust.

    I’m happy to have celebrated my first race wins in a Silver Arrow. However, there’s always room for improvement and I still have not shown my full potential.”

    Bottas took his first race win in Russia at the start of the season. His best finish up until that point had been two second place finishes for Williams in 2014.

    One of the key benefits Bottas brought to Mercedes, aside from strong potential, was the promise of a less rocky relationship with team-mate Hamilton than his predecessor.

    “For our team, the bonus factors are the respect and sportsmanship that have grown between our two drivers,” said team boss Toto Wolff. “The chemistry and dynamic between Valtteri and Lewis work and are what we need to take the fight to our competitors.

    There have been ups and downs – more ups, fewer downs – and some great highlights like his two race wins in Russia and Austria. Overall, the balance of his performances and his upward trajectory made it a no-brainer for us to continue with him in 2018.”

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Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA 1 TEAM

Lewis Hamilton - "It’s a circuit which is all about mental strength. You need to be sharp and clear. Experience counts here too – that helps massively in setting the car up. I’ve been doing this for a long time now. I spend a lot of time at the factory with the engineers to understand past races. Just the other night, I was driving around the track in my Smart car, visualizing the circuit. It’s not so easy, though, when there are lots of cars around!

    We have new cars this weekend which are wider and faster, so that’s going to be a massive challenge. In trying to push the car as close as you can to the limit, it’ll be a real test of your awareness of where the car is. I’m sure there will be some brushing of the barriers. The most important thing is that you have to learn to walk before you run. You have to build up to the pace so that, by the time you work up to that second run in Q3, you’re at 100 percent.”

Valtteri Bottas - “It’s one of those weekends when you really need to be on the top of your game. You need to be so focused on what is a mentally exhausting weekend. You need to be focused on every single car of every single lap, because one mistake will cost you. Monaco is always a great challenge. We live for these kinds of challenges.”

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Russian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

RUSSIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Valtteri Bottas took his first Formula 1 victory after a lightening start in Russia.

    The Finn started the race from the second row of the grid, but shot past the leading Ferraris on the way to the first corner.

    Team mate Lewis Hamilton wasn’t quite as quick off of the line, unable to find a way past Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

    Before Bottas had a chance to race off into the distance, the safety car paused the action. Romain Grosjean and Jolyon Palmer had come together, leaving both cars stranded on track. Just as the safety car boards were brought out, Lance Stroll was sent into a spin, but the teenager managed to continue.

    McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne ran wide to avoid the incident, earning himself a five second penalty for running outside the track limits. Kevin Magnussen also received a penalty. Vandoorne’s team mate Fernando Alonso was already out of the race. The Spaniard hadn’t made it to 
the start line, a problem with the engine bringing him to a halt on the formation lap.

    On the restart, Bottas managed to pull away a little from Vettel behind him, starting to build up a gap. Meanwhile, Hamilton was stuck behind Raikkonen and struggling to keep the engine cool enough. The problem appeared to be Mercedes specific. Hamilton’s engineer told him Bottas also had temperature problems, but running in dirty air meant Hamilton was really struggling.

    After the single pit stop, there was no change to the top four’s order, even with Vettel staying out seven laps longer than Bottas. If Vettel wanted his third win of the season, he’d have to take it on track.

    Vettel rose to the challenge, chasing after Bottas and slowly closing the gap to the Mercedes. In the closing laps, back markers began to play a factor, slowing down both drivers in turn as Bottas and Vettel both raced to the flag.

    Bottas’ Williams team mate Felipe Massa was the last man to be lapped. The Mercedes managed to get past the Brazilian easily enough, but Vettel had a little more trouble. The German was stuck behind Massa through turn three on the final lap of the race, though he managed to get past on the following corner. The time lost may have cost Vettel the win, as he crossed the line just six tenths of a second behind Bottas, though Massa said he was “sure” Vettel wouldn’t have passed Bottas.

    Kimi Raikkonen finished the race in a lonely third, 11 seconds behind Vettel but 25 seconds ahead of Hamilton in fourth.

    Max Verstappen took fifth. The Red Bull driver shot off of the line, challenging Hamilton and the Ferrari’s on the run up to the front corner, but he fell away through the rest of the race. He finished a further 25 seconds behind Hamilton.

    His Red Bull team mate had a little less luck. Daniel Ricciardo retired early in the race, his brakes on fire. He managed to make it to the pits before coming to a stop.

    Behind Verstappen, Nico Hulkenberg was set to take sixth after starting eighth, but a slow puncture forced him to pit late. He emerged from the pits in eighth.

    Force India took advantage of that late stop to take sixth and seventh, Sergio Perez leading Esteban Ocon across the line.

    Massa finished the race ninth, with Carlos taking the final points paying position.

RESULTS: 

1. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 25 points
2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points
3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points
4. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 12 Points
5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 10 Points
6. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 8 Points
7. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 6 Points
8. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 4 Points
9. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 2 Points
10. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / + 1 Point
11. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
12. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia
13. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
14. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium
15. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
16. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / Brake Failure
RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / Collision
RETIRED - Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain / Collision

DNS - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Power Unit

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Mercedes Reveal W08

MERCEDES REVEAL THE W08

    Whilst many teams have answered the regulation changes with radical new designs, Mercedes have opted to stay as traditional as possible with their 2017 challenger, the W08 EQ Power+.

    The car Lewis Hamilton ran ahead of the official launch was tightly packaged at the rear and had a large floor. Most notable, though, was the lack of shark fin that has been favoured by most of the other teams that have launched so far, though the team tested the fin later in the day.

    “The new rules for 2017 were designed to make the fastest F1 cars ever through a big increase in aerodynamic performance,” said team boss Toto Wolff. “They should be more physical to drive and hopefully more spectacular for the fans to watch. The proof will come in the opening races, but we have probably achieved that target.”

    Mercedes have dominated the championship since the need engine regulations came into play in 2014, but the team isn’t taking anything for granted.

    “In terms of relative performance, it’s clear that any rule change brings with it a big reset but also a big opportunity,” said Wolff. “This is the time to stay humble and keep our feet on the ground. None of the teams have raced under these rules, and we all have the same points right now: zero.”

    Wolff also hinted that the car Hamilton and new teammate Valtteri Bottas drove at Silverstone won’t stay the same throughout the season.

    “This year, in season development will play a big role in determining the championship outcome. None of us know where we will stand at the first race but I am confident that, whatever that position is, we have the people and the capability to deal with every challenge that comes our way. This will be the season where our full works team can show its true strength."

    Mercedes has also opted to keep the familiar silver and turquoise colour scheme as Petronas remains onboard.

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Massa Ends Retirement, Replaces Bottas At Williams

MASSA CONFIRMED TO REPLACE BOTTAS AT WILLIAMS IN 2017

    Felipe Massa has been confirmed as the replacement for Valtteri Bottas, who will be leaving Williams for Mercedes in 2017.

    Massa, less than three months into his retirement, will return to F1 to partner Lance Stroll at the team he spent the past three years racing for.

    “When I was offered the chance to help Williams with their 2017 Formula One campaign, it felt like the right thing to do,” Massa said. “I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I’m extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40… I also look forward to working with Lance; I’ve known him for many years and seen his talent develop during that time, so I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

    Though he had been planning to leave F1, Williams believe the Brazilian has not lost his competitive spirt, and will be a good match for rookie Stroll.

    “He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order to let Valtteri go,” Claire Williams said.

    “Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience, and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us.”

    As well as the stability Massa will provide, it’s understood Williams’ sponsor, Martini, were not keen to have two young drivers at the team, so a more experienced hand was needed to partner Stroll.

    Williams wished Bottas luck as he follows in Rosberg’s footsteps, the German having also started his career at Williams before making the move to Mercedes seven years ago.

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Bottas Confirmed At Mercedes

VALTTERI BOTTAS CONFIRMED AT MERCEDES FOR 2017

    The worst kept secret in Formula One – that Valtteri Bottas was set to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes – has finally been confirmed.

    The Finnish driver makes the switch from Williams, where he started his Formula One career, and will join Lewis Hamilton at the constructors’ championship winning team.

    Team boss Toto Wolff described Rosberg’s decision to leave the team as a “challenging situation” but is happy to have Bottas – who he manages – on the team.

    “Nico’s decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle,” he said. “But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow."

    “Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very honest… He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. But now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can set up to challenge for race wins and for the Championships.”

    Bottas is, understandably, pleased with the move. Bottas’ best finish for Williams was second in 2014. In the Mercedes, it’s unlikely he’ll be challenging for anything other than wins.

    “It’s definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history, especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive,” he said. “I’m really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity."

    “I know the Power Unit well from the last three years with Williams, but there are a lot of new things to learn with the car and also with how the team operates at the factory, in testing, and at races.”

    Should Manor not continue in Formula One, Bottas will be the last driver confirmed for the 2017 season, as Felipe Massa returns to Williams to take his former teammate’s seat. With the new regulations in place, this could be even more of a hindrance to Mercedes than usual, meaning the team and Bottas have a busy time ahead to get the Finn up to speed.

    Wolff is confident Bottas is up for the challenge though.

    “We have confidence in Valtteri’s ability, and it’s one of the reasons that he is the driver we set our sights on this winter,” he said. “The next weeks will be busy as we work to build relationships so Valtteri understands the team and the car. But that’s an exciting challenge that will bring us fresh energy and a new dynamic between the drivers. And, of course, we’re working hard to give Lewis and Valtteri the car they need to do the job.”

    Nico Rosberg will come back to the team in an ambassadorial role in 2017.

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “Abu Dhabi is a nice place to finish the Formula One season. The facilities are great there and it seems like more and more people come to this race every year. It’s the place where I had my first ever Formula One test in 2011. It’s a good track for racing and it looks very cool with the sunset. We ended the 2014 season there with a double podium so it would be nice to finish this season with another strong result. Normally it’s a good track for our car because of the long straights and short corners and chicanes, so I look forward to it.”

Felipe Massa - “It’s going to be another emotional one! You try not think about it too much when you’re in the car, you just try to do as good a job as you can. It’s a really nice track to drive, there are lots of fans who really enjoy themselves at the track and outside of the track and it is, of course, a twilight race which is interesting for us and everyone watching. I really hope the final, and 250th race of my Formula One career, can be a fantastic one. We will of course have a big party! Hopefully we can celebrate with a great result."

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Brazilian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “First of all, I think this is going to be such a cool race for Felipe as he is retiring and it’s going to be his last home race. I hope we can do well there and that he enjoys the weekend. Last year we did a good race and picked up some decent points. Brazilian fans are also always really passionate about Formula One. There is a nice combination of different types of corners on the track and it’s quite technical. The new tarmac that was laid there a couple of years ago has made it very grippy since, so I really enjoy racing at this track.”

Felipe Massa - “Interlagos is home. It’s the place that I grew up. It will be emotional racing there for the final time on such an amazing track. I’m looking forward to enjoying every single lap and hopefully I can manage to finish the race with a good result. I have won twice at Interlagos and have finished on the podium many times over the years and I hope we can get another one. It won’t be easy, but I will do everything I can for my people and for Brazil in my last race at home.”

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Williams Confirms Valtteri Bottas & Lance Stroll for 2017

WILLIAMS CONFIRMS BOTTAS & STROLL FOR 2017

    Lance Stroll has described getting the Williams F1 seat as “a dream come true” at the announcement of the team’s 2017 line up this morning. The Canadian teenager will join Valtteri Bottas at Williams next season, having taken the FIA European Formula 3 championship earlier this year.

    Stroll’s promotion to Formula One comes as a shock to nobody, as the teenager has been rumoured to be taking the seat of retiring Felipe Massa for months. Stroll comes not only with talent – as shown by his complete domination in Formula 3 – but also with funding. What he doesn’t have is a great quantity of experience, which has led to some to criticize the move. 2017 will definitely be a learning curve for the Canadian.

    “To be racing in Formula One in 2017 is incredible,” said Stroll. “I can’t thank Williams enough for showing faith in my ability."

    “2017 is going to be a big learning curve for me, but I’m eager to absorb everything Williams can share with me so that I improve. I’ll be taking things on a race-by-race, lap-by-lap basis and hopefully progress with experience like I did when I entered Formula 4 and then Formula 3.”

    Stroll has been preparing for his promotion not only by racing in Formula 3, but testing in the 2014 F1 car.

    “The power is incredible,” he said of the Williams FW36, which Stroll has been testing in since August. “I’m learning about the car, the incredible down force, DRS and tyre management, finding rhythm and finding the limit. I’m becoming more comfortable and confident with each run.”

    Stroll will partner Valtteri Bottas, who will start his fifth season with Williams next year. The Finn is looking forward to next year, calling the rules changes “exciting”. Williams have fallen backwards over the past few years after often challenging for the number two spot back in 2014.

    “Williams is like my family,” said Bottas. “Going into next season, it will be eight years in total since I joined at the start of 2010, so it really does feel like home here. However, I still believe we haven’t yet achieved what we should, and can do together.”

    Williams believe the fresh talent, partnered with the rule change next season, will push them forwards so they can get back to challenging at the front of the field in what will be their 40th season in Formula 1. At the moment, the team is battling with Force India for fourth place in the constructors’ championship.

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Mexican GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “Mexico was the best podium in my career so far when I finished third there last year. It was incredible to look out on the stadium and see how many people there were after the Mexican Grand Prix hadn’t been on since 1992, and the place was completely full. The atmosphere was amazing. It’s a big city with plenty of traffic on the way to the circuit – that’s the only negative I can think of, but at least the traffic is there and not on the track! The race is very challenging because of the high altitude. The top speeds are high, and we have less downforce. This thin air also means there is less oxygen, so as a driver it’s slightly more physical. It’s a very cool race track and I’m really looking forward to going back to such a unique location for a Grand Prix.”

Felipe Massa - “Mexico has some of the most amazing fans. In the last sector you really enjoy every lap you’re doing. You also have one of the longest straights in Formula One, where we achieved the record speed last year. In Mexico people really love Formula One, it’s fantastic to go to races like that. The city is very similar to São Paulo so I really feel at home there. I would say the Mexican people are very similar to the Brazilian people as well. It’s a great place to visit and to race.”

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US GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “Austin is a great city and the people are very nice. Normally the weather is very good – except last year when it was a little bit different! We didn’t manage to score there in 2015 because of the DNF with both cars, but it should be a pretty good track for us when we go there again and try and get some good points. I still remember COTA fondly because it was where I picked up my first ever points in Formula One in 2013, so it’s always nice to go back there. Overall, as a race weekend, with the fans and everything going on it’s one of the best races to go to. It’s a special Grand Prix.”

Felipe Massa - “Of all the newer tracks COTA is the one I enjoy the most. It’s a really nice track to drive because you have everything; high speed corners, low speed corners and the long straight, which is good for overtaking. I also really enjoy Austin itself. It’s a very nice city with good restaurants and an amazing atmosphere during the race weekend. I’ve managed to get good results there in the past so hopefully I can enjoy a great race this year.”

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Japanese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “If I had to choose one track as my favourite, it would have to be Suzuka because of the high speed nature of the circuit. It’s a proper race track really built for Formula One cars. On top of that, the atmosphere is very special. The Japanese fans get so excited about the race. There’s a lot of support for me there, which I really appreciate. It’s always nice to go to Japan, it’s a favourite for a lot of people because it’s such a great track and overall a great weekend with a really good atmosphere – one I always look forward to.”

Felipe Massa - “I think Suzuka is one of the best places to race. I love the layout and the high speed sections. Sector one I think is the most incredible sector in the world. I really love Japan. I love the people and I love to go there to spend some time in Tokyo. I’m really looking forward to my last Formula One race in Japan and I can’t wait to enjoy it with the amazing Japanese fans.”

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Malaysian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING 

Valtteri Bottas - “Malaysia has changed places in the calendar so it’s going to be just as hot and humid as Singapore and another very physical race for the drivers. It has a nice mix of both high and low-speed corners. We normally score strong points at Sepang. Overall, it’s an enjoyable track to drive and I’m really looking forward to going back for another year.”

Felipe Massa - “Malaysia is another very difficult race in the calendar because of how hot and humid it is. It rains there almost every day, and when it rains it’s normally torrential so it covers the whole track. The race is just so dependent on the weather, but I really hope we can do well there and have a good result. I was sixth there last year, I hope this year I can perform even better!”

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Singapore GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “We’re back into the fly-aways with Singapore, one of the most challenging race weekends on the calendar. That track has so many corners, so as a driver to complete the perfect lap in Singapore it’s quite tricky. But it’s really rewarding when you do. Personally, I do like the challenge. It’s a night race and in terms of how much you need to focus, it’s probably the most difficult track after Monaco. There’s no room for mistakes. It’s extremely hot, which makes it much more physical for the driver and hard on the car. It’s a very unique and cool looking Grand Prix.”

Felipe Massa - “Singapore is one of the few night races that we have, together with Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. It’s a very difficult race. It’s very humid and so hot; a tricky race for everybody and one of the hardest on the calendar. That said, I really enjoy racing there and it’s a very rewarding track. It’s always a good feeling racing in Singapore.”

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Belgian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING 

Valtteri Bottas - "This is definitely one of my favourite tracks, mainly because of the high speed corners. It’s extremely enjoyable to drive. It’s normally quite a good track for us, the only thing with Belgium is that the weather can be quite unpredictable across the weekend. It’s definitely one of the best circuits in the world so I’m really looking forward to going back. We were on the podium there in 2014, so that’s a good memory. I’ve also had quite a bit of success in Belgium with Formula Renault, Formula 3 and GP3 so it’s always one of the best tracks to go to for me."

Felipe Massa - "Belgium is one of the best tracks in Formula One. Most of the drivers love the old style, including me. I’m really looking forward to having a great race at Spa. It’s a place that can be wet and dry pretty much at the same time, so I hope it will be a good weekend for us and that we have a fantastic race. It’s always a pleasure to race there and feel the car perform at one of the best tracks in the world. I’ve got great memories from Belgium – I’ve been on the podium and I won there in 2008. It’s definitely a place I always enjoy visiting and a great pleasure to race around."

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING 

Valtteri Bottas - “Last time we were in Germany was in 2014 and I was second place in the race, one of my best F1 results. It’s a track I’ve driven a lot when I was in the junior categories like Formula Renault and Formula 3, so I know the place really well. It’s nice to go back to Germany after a bit of a break, and hopefully we’ll have another warm welcome.”

Felipe Massa - “It will be nice to return to the German Grand Prix after we didn’t have it last year. We’re heading to Hockenheim, a track I really enjoy driving. I hope we have a good race because the Hockenheimring could be a great track for our car. We’ll see at the weekend.”

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “The Hungaroring is probably the most intense track compared to the other events it falls around during in the season. It’s much tighter with many slow speed corners and a very technical track to drive, so definitely not the easiest. Budapest falls in the summertime and normally it’s very hot. It’s nicknamed the Finnish Grand Prix because there can be tens of thousands of Finns at the race. I always really appreciate seeing the Finnish flag and feeling that support.”

Felipe Massa - “Hungary is a track where I personally have a lot of history with the accident I had. As a consequence, I have the most amazing fans there who support me a lot. They follow me everywhere I go and always have gifts for me. It’s an amazing place to go back to and spend time with them. As a track, it’s somewhere you need to have very good down force with the short straights and number of corners. It’s quite difficult on the tyres as well, so if you have good down force, that will really work well for you at this track. All in all, it’s a fantastic race in a nice town that I enjoy.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Quotes belong to Drivers 

British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING 

Valtteri Bottas - "Silverstone is a special event. It’s a home race for Williams and it’s one of the good tracks for our car. It’s also one of the most enjoyable tracks to drive a Formula One car because of the high-speed nature of the circuit. My favourite part of the track is Becketts, which is a lot of fun because it has a really nice flow to it. The crowd at Silverstone is amazing as well. I’m always impressed by how much support the motorsport fans in the UK give to us.”

Felipe Massa - “Silverstone is the home Grand Prix for the team, which is really special, and it’s truly an amazing track to drive. It’s a circuit with a lot of high-speed corners, so you need to have a very good car in that respect. Typically British, it’s a circuit where the weather changes very quickly! It can be wet, dry, or completely mixed - anything can happen, which we’ve seen many times over the last few years. As Williams’ home Grand Prix, it’s an important place for the team to get a good result, especially as we have so much history there. Plus, it’s one of the oldest races on the calendar, so I’m really looking forward to what will be a special race.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers