Valtteri Bottas brands Alfa Romeo more of a 'racing team' than 'company' Mercedes

dailystar.co.uk:

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is enjoying a new lease of life as a team leader at Alfa Romeo.Bottas played a key role as Mercedes won the Constructors’ Championship in each of his five seasons with the Brackley-based team, although he never seriously challenged Lewis Hamilton for the drivers’ crown.

After years of being handed short-term deals by Mercedes, he was finally cut loose at the end of last season as George Russell took his place in one of the most sought-after seats on the grid.Rather than battling for pole positions and podiums, Bottas is now scrapping for the lower points-scoring positions and, after a bright start to the season, the Sauber-run Alfa squad has lost some momentum.READ MORE: Chinese Grand Prix pencilled in as F1 unveils 24-race calendar for 2023Realistically, making sure they are not caught by Haas or AlphaTauri for sixth in the standings is their main goal for the rest of the season.

However, the Finn says he is enjoying his new environment compared to what felt was a more corporate vibe at Mercedes. “It is an environment with less pressure,” he told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. “The context in which I am now is less ‘company’ and more racing team, but everyone's motivation is the same.” The 33-year-old did not rule out following Fernando Alonso’s lead by racing into his 40s, although he does not see F1 as the be-all and end-all, admitting he would be open to racing in other series. Is Bottas right about Mercedes?

Tell us in the comments section below.“I am absolutely open to any challenge,” he said. “I love to drive, and I could find motivation in many other contexts.