Häkkinen works for Bottas for 2014
As he completes his first season in F1, Valtteri Bottas doesn't yet know what 2014 will hold, but he leaves this to his management team, which includes Mika Häkkinen, who will do everything to ensure his compatriot continues in F1 next season.
After being a behind-the-scenes worker for three years with the Williams F1 team, Valtteri Bottas was offered a full-time seat this season. The Finnish driver delivered rather impressive performances – notably with a 3rd place in qualifying in Montreal – considering the performance of his Williams.
Even though he has the support of several companies, Bottas’s future in F1 is not assured, but Mika Häkkinen – F1 world champion in 1998 and 1999 – who is part of his compatriot’s management team is working hard to enable him to stay in F1 for many more years.
« We are working hard to ensure Valtteri has the best possible situation [in 2014] in many ways. I think his performance this season has been incredible. He is in good hands, » Häkkinen told the Russian site Championat.
Bottas, for his part, believes he has done a good job in this first half of the season despite the difficulties faced by Williams: « I think it’s certain that it doesn’t help. If I were able to regularly fight for the top 10, everyone would see a little more of what I can do. I think the first half of the season hasn’t been too bad for me. »
Even though things are going quite well for Bottas, Häkkinen’s behind-the-scenes work is important because, according to some rumors, the Williams team has signed a partnership with the Russian GP2 team Russian Time, which could lead to the placement of a Russian driver within the Grove team next year. Moreover, with low revenues due to its poor position in the constructors’ standings – 9th place with only 1 point, the influx of capital would not be unwelcome for Williams.
