The day earlier than our interview, nonetheless, within the Thursday media pen in Baku, Bottas had sounded optimistic, bordering on cocky, about his probabilities of remaining within the sport. His focus, he mentioned, was totally on F1. A journalist’s query on options revealed that he’d thought-about a swap to IndyCar, however that pathway was wanting much less and fewer like one thing he’d be fascinated with – or needing to consider…
“I believe for me, it’s very clear the place I wish to be and the place I more than likely will probably be, which is in Components 1,” Bottas instructed the journalist. “Let’s say if it’s a hypothetical query of ‘if not Components 1’, I’d positively race. I’m a racer, I’ve been racing all my life and I couldn’t simply stop racing. Plan B can be IndyCar, attempt to win the championship in x quantity of years – however I don’t suppose that’s but.”
By Friday morning, he’s maybe measuring his phrases a little bit extra rigorously once I ask him the place that confidence over his future was coming from.
“I believe the arrogance most likely is from my aspect,” he says. “I do know that I ought to be in Components 1 and primarily based on simply how optimistic, as an instance, the suggestions I’ve acquired from Mattia and his intentions for the longer term, I really feel like I am in a powerful place. However nonetheless… it is too early actually to say rather more than that.”
Mattia is Mattia Binotto, Ferrari’s former Crew Principal, who after 18 months out of the game, joined Kick Sauber/Audi as Chief Working and Chief Technical Officer, starting work on August 1 for a crew nonetheless but to attain some extent in 2024.
