No 'special preference' regarding Ferrari - Bottas

Valtteri Bottas insists he is not intoxicated with the thought of joining Ferrari. Last year, the Finn was reportedly close to being signed by the fabled Maranello marque to replace Kimi Raikkonen, but the 2007 world champion ultimately kept his job. Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, however, warned this week that he wants "more competition" between Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in 2016, which can only be interpreted as a warning to the 36-year-old.

Bottas, 26, admits he would be interested in joining Ferrari. "It is an iconic brand," he told Brazil's UOL Esporte, "not only inside formula one but outside of it as well. Everyone knows Ferrari is something great so of course it's a very interesting team. But I also remember watching the Williams cars as a child when they were winning races and titles. So I'm very happy to be a part of this historic team," Bottas added.

Bottas, however, also has links to the dominant F1 team Mercedes, as its boss Toto Wolff is still involved with his personal management, and is a minor shareholder at Williams. "As a driver," Bottas confirmed, "I also respect Mercedes because they are winning, so for me I think you always want to be with the teams that have the fastest cars. I have no special preference regarding Ferrari, Williams or Mercedes," he added. "They are all good teams. What you really look for as a driver is to have the fastest car." (GMM)