Bottas not focusing on outright performance - yet

Williams' Valtteri Bottas concluded his two days of testing fully satisfied with the outcome of his program which focused on development rather than outright performance.

"Everyone in the garage has been working very hard," Bottas said.

"I am pleased with the amount of laps we did, with the mileage and reliability that we already have in the car.

"The car is already feeling better than last year's car but I'm sure thats' pretty much the case with all the team here. Because we were just going through our program and not focusing on the performance yet, there is still a question mark as to where we are compared to the other teams.

It's no secret that Bottas is seeking his first Formula 1 win this season, and that anything short of that realisation would prove a big disappointment this year.

"I'm really looking forward to that first win that's for sure. I'm also looking forward to really getting on top of the problems we had last year compared to the main teams.

"I think we've already addressed some of the issues, but we really need to master the tyres as there were a lot of races in the last two years where we really struggled on that front."

Bottas will hand over driving duties to team mate Felipe Massa today, but the Finn is already looking forward to next week's second test.

"I think it will be interesting to follow what things Felipe is going to try with the car. I'm looking forward to next week now as well, to get back in the car and try to get a bit more out of it."

Follow live coverage and timing from pre-season testing here

Who is driving when during the first pre-season test

GALLERY: Pre-season testing day two

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.

Recent Posts

Vasseur explains why Ferrari had to ‘stop the noise and the rumors’

Fred Vasseur has made it clear that Ferrari’s decision to publicly address speculation over his…

6 hours ago

Verstappen explains why he skipped softs in Sepang FP2

Max Verstappen emerged from Formula 1’s first day back at Sepang with plenty of encouragement…

8 hours ago

Hamilton escapes penalty as Ferrari hit with €10,000 impeding fine

Lewis Hamilton escaped with little more than a slap on the wrist after impeding Audi’s…

9 hours ago

Russell warns Mercedes upgrade is being masked by tyre woes

George Russell resisted the temptation to draw any grand conclusions from Mercedes’ much-anticipated W17 upgrade…

10 hours ago

Bahrain GP: Friday's action in pictures

A sweltering Friday in Sepang delivered a hectic opening day as Max Verstappen and Charles…

11 hours ago

Briatore draws a line under Alpine’s costly Baku disaster

Flavio Briatore has drawn a line under Alpine’s bruising Azerbaijan Grand Prix, admitting he was…

12 hours ago