Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport launches W08 EQ Power+

“There’s not too much point setting goals until we’ve really driven the car, so I’m going to go with the flow until we understand the possibilities.

“I’m feeling in a positive place with the team – we talked about a lot of stuff over the winter, I was able to get some things off my chest, and now we are communicating better than ever and continuing to grow together.

“I’m the best equipped I have ever been to work with my team-mate and manage the relationship with my experience and maturity.

“I welcome Valtteri to the team, and I know that the team will be giving us both everything they can to win the championship.”

New arrival Valtteri Bottas is equally excited at the prospect of the new season:

“It’s a new chapter in my career, a new team, new regulations… new everything!

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to get this car out on track, and although this is just a Filming Day, I’m looking forward to starting to test properly next week in Barcelona and to really understand the car that we’ve been given by everybody in Brixworth and Brackley.

It has been a busy winter for me since signing with Mercedes, and we have tried to make the most of our time.

Valtteri Bottas

“We’ve been going daily, making the most of each one, spending a lot of time in Brackley and going through as much stuff as possible with the engineers.

“I feel well prepared in such a short time, but the learning curve is still steep, and I’m getting more useful information daily. It’s up to us to make the most out of our time together.

“In terms of my physical preparation, I have done the most training of any winter so far. I have done some good training camps and feel in the best shape I’ve ever been. Definitely ready for the season ahead.

“Right now, it’s a very exciting feeling for me. I want to say a big thank you to everyone in our factories for getting this car ready to go. It’s been a massive effort, and I’ve got a lot of respect for our current shape.

“But it’s only the first step – and this is where the work really begins.”

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