Excited Bottas ‘in the best shape ever’

Editor

New Mercedes recruit Valtteri Bottas feels he is fully prepared for the added physical pressure that the new season will bring.

The Finn had his first run for the Silver Arrows when taking the new W08 out for a spin at Silverstone and is very excited about the new season.

“I feel well prepared in such a short time but, of course, the learning curve is still steep and I’m getting more useful information every day,” Bottas said at the Mercedes W08 launch.

“It’s up to us to make the most out of the time together.

“It has been a busy winter for me since signing with Mercedes and we have tried to make the most of the time we have had.

“We’ve been going day by day, making the most of each one, spending a lot of time in Brackley and going through as much stuff as possible with the engineers.

“In terms of my physical preparation, I think I have done the most amount of training of any winter so far.

“I have done some good training camps and feel in the best shape I’ve ever been, definitely ready for the season ahead.

“Right now, it’s a very exciting feeling for me. I want to say a big thank you to everyone in our factories for getting this car ready to go. It’s been a massive effort and I’ve got a lot of respect for the shape we are in at the moment.

“But it’s only the first step – and this is where the work really begins.”