Bottas: It feels like the best is still ahead.

      Valtteri Bottas is one of the most experienced drivers in the World Championship, but throughout his career – this being his 13th season in Formula 1 – he has never found himself in a situation like the one he is in now, as a driver for the new Cadillac team. According to the 36-year-old Finn, he has never appreciated his work as much as he does now. This is partly because he has something to compare it to, as last year, when he was a reserve driver for Mercedes, he could only watch the events on the World Championship tracks from the sidelines.

      "Certainly, when after 12 years of racing you miss a year, you start to look at our sport differently," Valtteri shared in an interview with the official championship website. "In fact, when you are not fully involved in the process, you begin to see the picture in its entirety.

      Undoubtedly, all of this contributes to my increased appreciation for Formula 1 and a greater respect for our sport, for everyone who works and competes in it. So I think that this year I value everything even more than before.

      For example, in Melbourne, when the Australian national anthem played on the starting grid, I probably have never enjoyed the whole process as much as I did then, because when you are deprived of it and then get it back, it is quite a unique moment."

      After 11 rounds of the season, which is the debut for Cadillac F1, the new American team remains the only one without any points, although, overall, they are performing better than expected. However, Bottas is plagued by technical issues, which have caused him to retire from races five times, yet he has no doubt that the team is progressing and moving in the right direction:

      "We understood that there would be difficulties. There were several races where we did not finish due to technical problems. We knew that such a possibility existed, and this is also part of the experience-gathering process. The main thing is that we must learn from all of this and move forward. Honestly, there haven't been any major surprises otherwise.

      I knew that throughout the year we would be able to achieve improvements – and we see that we are achieving them. We are managing to increase the pace and make the car more reliable. The team is working better and better, and although our journey is going great so far, there is still a lot to do...

      Gradually, I am getting to know our team, the people I work with, better and better. By the way, I can say the same about Sergio Perez, my teammate. We hit it off right away and worked well together...

      For all the team members, each Grand Prix is a new experience. Our car goes out on every track for the first time, and it is all very interesting – there is little that compares to such impressions.

      You have to be patient because everything takes time, but I see the team's progress, and that is encouraging. Overall, this season I am gaining a unique experience and I am excited about the future. When we eventually achieve results, it will be a real reward.

      For starters, I want to make it into the second part of qualifying; that is our next step, after which we will fight for points, so our goals are crystal clear. We do not want to finish this season without scoring any points at all. But how do we get into the top ten? We still have the task of making the car more reliable and faster ahead of us, but we are working in that direction.

      I believe that every year you learn a lot about yourself, especially in our sport. I feel comfortable both behind the wheel and outside the cockpit, and I say this with pride. With each year, you become more experienced, but I believe that the best is still ahead – I have that feeling!"