Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo’s new signing, is expected to bring ‘positive energy’ to the team during the 2022 Formula One season, according to Frederic Vasseur.
After five years with Mercedes, Bottas will join Alfa Romeo alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas won 10 races, 20 pole positions, and 58 podium finishes during his stint with F1’s dominant power, helping Mercedes to five successive constructors’ championships.
The Finn finished second to his teammate twice but was unable to mount a credible title challenge in 2019 and 2020, with Hamilton winning both championships well before the end of the season.
Bottas will effectively be the team leader for Alfa Romeo under the new restrictions, thanks to his partnership with F1 rookie Guanyu Zhou.
Vasseur believes his long association with Bottas, whom he worked with in the junior categories, is beneficial, as he stated during the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
“Yes,” Vasseur said when asked if Bottas would bring positive energy to the team. “We are very often in contact, it’s not just about the fact we run together but we were in contact the last 12 or 14 years.
“I know that for him it’s a new chapter of his career and he take the fact he will be key to the system as a new opportunity.”
Given his expertise with Mercedes, Vasseur feels Bottas will be an important player in helping Alfa Romeo improve.
“I think he was and it’s quite natural when you are the teammate of Lewis, you are a little bit in the shadow of your teammate and with us it will be a strong pillar of the performance of the development of the team,” he added. “I think it was also for him an important step and I’m really convinced that he will achieve in this position.”
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