© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Valtteri Bottas says he has to become more selfish if he wants to achieve his dream of becoming a Formula 1 world champion.
Bottas’ 2021 campaign didn’t start as he would have hoped for. After four races he is trailing the championship leader Lewis Hamilton by 47 points.
However, while he is not worried about becoming a number two driver just yet, he acknowledges that he will have to become more selfish, if he is to become a serious challenger for the 2021 crown.
“It’s important to think more about myself,” the Finn said told GP Racing.
“And what really is the goal in my career – which is the championship – and think less about others.
“You can’t change yourself, but if I look at the big picture of my career, it’s not going to last forever.
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“If you’re with a [top] team five, six years, they expect you at least once to win the title. That’s how it goes, that’s how F1 works and I acknowledge it completely.
“I definitely need to challenge the team when I can, in a good way. I want to make sure all the eggs are in my bowl – I want to make sure I get the better strategy.”
With Bottas’ Mercedes race seat in 2022 not being a sure thing, the Finn plans on giving it his all this season.
“For me, the main goal this year is to give it everything I have, much more than I’ve ever been able to do before.
“Whether it’s what I do in the race week, how much I’m demanding from my engineers, my coach, my family.
“I want to make sure that once we are done in Abu Dhabi, I look back and can say I gave it all I had left in my tank.”
