Bottas unfazed by silly season Mercedes rumors

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As speculation linked to the future of Daniel Ricciardo continues, one man targeted by the gossip remains oblivious to the stories.

Valtteri Bottas' contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the current season, but the Finn is keeping his head down, focused on the job at hand, unconcerned by who or what is spinning the rumor mill.

"I know what the situation is," says the three-time Grand Prix winner.

"If things continue as they are then there is no concern at all.

"There is always talk in Formula 1, and I have the same thing every year. There are always people who want to speculate, and there always will be."

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The 28-year-old was humbled by Silver Arrows team mate Lewis Hamilton last season, but this year Bottas is holding his own.

"Of course it feels good," he says.

"I think my performance is on a good level and will only get better, so surely the direction is up."

Like Hamilton, Bottas admits he's disappointed by his team's winless performance so far, but he always knew it would be a challenging campaign for the world champions.

"We always knew it was going to be tough, and yes, we’re disappointed not to win a race so far in the first three races,” he said.

"But this is the game, this year it’s going to be extremely tough, there’s always going to be six cars at least fighting for the win, and you really need to get everything perfect to make it happen.

"And we haven’t made everything perfect yet. It doesn’t panic us, it motivates us, that’s what I’ve seen. In Bahrain we got very close to the win, also in China, without different situations with safety cars.

"The speed we’ve had is extremely close with Ferrari and Red Bull, we just need to keep it together and try and find any small performance gains, and I’m sure it will come."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.