Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has praised the team’s new signing, Valtteri Bottas, for his “no-nonsense” and “very focused” attitude.
Following Pascal Wehrlein’s Sauber move and Felipe Massa’s return to Williams being announced, Mercedes confirmed the final piece of the F1 2017 puzzle by revealing Bottas as the replacement for retired World Champion Nico Rosberg.
Bottas was officially unveiled as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate for the new season at the Mercedes factory in Brackley.
Wolff believes Bottas will be a great fit for Mercedes, though warned that the team is slightly behind its rivals due to the unexpected driver moves.
“Sometimes in life, unexpected circumstances provide interesting opportunities,” commented Wolff.
“Nico's decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle. But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow.
“Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very focused. Pretty Finnish, to be honest, and a great fit for us.
“He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. But now it's time for the next level, to see how he can step up to challenge for race wins and for championships.
“We know that we are already behind the curve in terms of preparations for the new season, so we've got a busy programme to get him integrated into the team. One thing is for sure: as I know Valtteri, he will give it everything.”
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