Mercedes-AMG Motorsport drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton have talked about their eagerness to start the new season in just under a month’s time at the launch of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship challenger the W11.
The reigning champion will sport a brand new helmet design based primarily on purple has said that his pre-season preparations have been the best ever having taken time during the offseason to analyse last season, which saw him take eleven race wins and five pole positions.
“I’ve had the best winter training yet, over the winter, I’ve really been trying to analyse where we were last year and how I can grow and improve as a driver and as a human being,” said Hamilton.
“Having great consistency is going to be key for all of us – not just in terms of our reliability, but also for us as drivers.
“This team works so hard to give us this incredible machine, but if we put a foot wrong out there, it costs all of us, so that’s something I’ve really been trying to focus on – how can I take it to another level as a driver, how can I extract more from myself and from the team, and trying to deliver something really great this year.”
Eight years after joining Mercedes and thirteen years after arriving in Formula 1 with McLaren, Hamilton is still as hungrier as ever to be the best in the sport and to push his Mercedes team to it’s best as well.
“This is my eighth year with this team and this year’s challenge is super exciting. I have no doubt every single team member will try to raise the bar within themselves and I’ll be trying to do the same.”
As for Bottas, 2019 saw him have his best season in Formula 1 to date as he won three races on course to finishing runner up in the driver’s championship behind team leader Hamilton.
The Finn also had a very good offseason as well as he trained hard in the cold of Finland driving rally cars and dog sledges
“I think this has been my best winter training so far, I did a lot of different training routines in different climate zones;” explained Bottas.
“I’m ready and prepared and I can’t wait for the new season to start. I actually did quite a bit of driving as well – from rally cars to dog sledges in the snow in Finland.
“This season is going to be really challenging, but I know that every single member of this team will give it everything to put us in the best possible position for the fight.”
