"I am me, I am not Nico," says Bottas when asked if he should copy Rosberg's approach; watch Brazilian GP on Sky F1 this weekend
Thursday 14 November 2019 18:06, UK
Valtteri Bottas says he is "bored" of suggestions that he should follow Nico Rosberg's approach to beat Lewis Hamilton - and says he has a secret "plan" to defeat the six-time F1 champion next season.
With Hamilton clinching the 2019 championship at the US GP, Bottas has lost out to his team-mate in all three of his Mercedes seasons. The last man to beat Hamilton over a season was Rosberg, whose departure at the end of his title-winning campaign in 2016 led to Bottas' arrival.
But when asked if he should copy Rosberg 's approach of being more aggressive and getting under Hamilton's skin, Bottas replied: "If I'm being honest I'm already slightly bored by that question because every driver is an individual.
"I am me, I am not Nico.
"For sure I always have plans to find the different ways of how I want to achieve my goal, which is ultimately the championship. That requires me to beat my team-mate but also many other drivers.
"I always preferred to do the talking on track and if I can keep up my performance and focus all the energy I have into my performance, then I think that's going to be the best bet for me."
The Finn added: "If I start wasting energy elsewhere, it might take my mind off the driving and what really matters.
"If I can perform at the level I want to, that tends to upset the other side of the garage a little bit, and I know being on the other side as well it can lead you to mistakes.
"I have a plan for next year but I am really not willing to share it so we will find out."
Bottas has already guaranteed a second-place finish in the 2019 standings, his highest over a season, while his four wins is also a career-best.
"It's been a much better season than last season from my side, so it's been nice to contribute properly to our achievements as a team," he said ahead of this weekend's Brazilian GP.
"I believe if I look at it overall, it's been my best season so far in Formula 1. But still it's not a season I'm aiming for. I still need more consistency, fewer mistakes.
"The thing that gives me confidence for the future is that I'm now really starting to see the work that we've been doing with the engineers and what I've been doing with myself, and driving-wise.
"I've really been able to target many of the weaknesses that I've had and been able to improve my pace in different circumstances, so that's very satisfying to see. It makes you want more."
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