Bottas says there was “not a lot” between him and Hamilton in F1 2020
Valtteri Bottas says there are “many positives” he can take from the 2020 Formula 1 season after insisting there was “not a lot” between him and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton throughout the year.
Hamilton clinched a record-equalling seventh world title with three races to spare in Turkey to leave Istanbul Park 110 points clear of nearest rival Bottas, who finished a lap down in 14th following six spins in a nightmare race.
Despite claiming just two victories compared to Hamilton’s 10 wins from 14 races this season, Bottas stressed the performance gaps separating the Mercedes duo was often down to “fine margins”.
There are a maximum of 78 points left on offer at the remaining trio of events, with Bottas knowing he could equal his career-best tally of four wins in a season if he is victorious on at least two more occasions, while Hamilton can match the most wins accumulated over a single season if he triumphs at all three races.
“From my side of course the season is not finished yet, there are still three races, so to get the overall picture from this season there’s still a lot you can do and try to get a positive ending,” Bottas said.
“It’s a fact that for me the championship is lost, but I still keep pushing and if I look back at this year there are many positives I can take. I have been able to improve in many areas, for sure not still enough to win the title, but I’ll keep pushing.
“Yes, there were some unlucky races where I lost some points, but there were also races where Lewis was better than me and that’s, in the end, how he made the difference. Sometimes it was just very fine margins about how qualifying or the race ended up, in terms of what kind of strategy I was pushing for or how things ended up.
“You know, in this sport the points’ difference can look pretty big now, I know, but, in the end it comes down fine margins and I’ve been unable to be consistently at such a top level as Lewis has this year and that made the difference. It’s not a lot but it was enough to win.
“That’s something I’ll keep pushing on for the future, because I feel I’m getting better each year. That gives me hope and motivation and that will to push more and try to keep growing for the future, so I’m looking forward to next year.”
Bottas, who has a strong record at the Bahrain International Circuit which is staging two of the last three races, says he is in a “good mindset” and is confident of ensuring he finishes the season in winning fashion.
“For sure I’m confident – that needs to be the mindset going into any race that you need to have the confidence,” he explained.
“And if you don’t have it, you need to find it somewhere, whether if it’s with extra preparation or whatever you do between the races. You always have to find it I’m in a good mindset and for sure I’m here to win.”
