Bottas reflects on time with Mercedes "as a failure"

Valtteri Bottas is leaving Mercedes believing his time with the team has been 'in a way, a failure'.

Across his five seasons with Mercedes, Bottas was instrumental in helping it win five consecutive constructors' championships to take its overall tally to eight in a row.

The Finn also won 10 grands prix, added another 47 podiums and was on pole 20 times in 101 races, yet he heads to Alfa Romeo next year without the main prize that eluded him in being champion.

“Yes, I definitely feel like, in a way, it is a failure,” Bottas told The New York Times. “But looking back I tried everything I could have done.

“If I could go back in time, if I could relive those moments, I would still just drive my best, as I did.”

Bottas leaves Mercedes without "the big chunk of gold"

Working alongside Lewis Hamilton, Bottas found himself up against a formidable team-mate and also opponent as the Briton won four successive titles before losing out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen this year.

Bottas, though, knows he has to take the positives with him to Alfa Romeo if he is to continue to develop as a driver and with his career.

“That’s going to be important moving on, thinking about the constructors’ titles we won together, the huge amount of points," added Bottas.

“We’ve been very good team-mates, I got some wins, had plenty of poles, so I need to take those good things with me.

"So when I look back I think that, yes, I achieved something, maybe not yet the big chunk of gold I said to myself I would win when I was six years old, but still something.”

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