Valtteri Bottas: "The Drivers' Championship is now the only goal for me"

Valterri Bottas thinks he will be able to match Lewis Hamilton as the two will be paired as team mates for next season.

Bottas signed a deal with the Silver Arrows yesterday morning, confirming what we all were speculating about for weeks. The Finn is confident that he can get close to Hamilton in 2017.

"Lewis will be a great reference for me," Bottas said. "Everyone knows how good he is, he's a great driver. I'm sure as a pair we can work well."

"My target is to get everything out of the car from the very first race. I know I'm capable of that and if I do we will be very close with Lewis."

Bottas also said that he is looking forward to getting to know Hamilton and working alongside him, but will have his ultimate goal in mind.

"I'm looking forward to getting to know him better," Bottas said. "I see no issues between us and I'm sure we'll work well together, pushing hard on the track but at the same time pushing the team forward together as team-mates."

"The Drivers' Championship is now the only goal for me," he added.

Bottas will replace retired world champion Nico Rosberg in shoes that he admits will be big to fill.

"It is a big place to step into, last  year Nico won the title, Mercedes won the constructor's title, but I'm completely ready for it," he said.  "I'll be doing everything I can to perform from the very first test, the very first race, on wards on the left of the team and the level of the car and I trust myself and my skills."

The Finn added that the pressure that he feels comes from himself because he is so competitive. 

"I know I can do it and the main pressure, if there is any comes from me because I am a really competitive guy and I always set really high targets for myself on how I want to perform."

"If there's any pressure it's from me and I have such great people behind me, supporting me and it's all going to be good."

Fergal Walsh