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Valtteri Bottas is considered one of Formula 1’s rising stars. And rightly so; In 2014, in only his second season in the sport, the Finn claimed six podium finishes and finished fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, beating his more experienced team-mate Felipe Massa.

Bottas’ breakthrough season contributed greatly to the resurgence of the Williams F1 team, which saw them finish third in the Constructors’ Championship; his best result since second place in 2003.

The 2015 campaign, however, has not got off to the start that suggests the clear potential of the Mercedes-powered FW37: Bottas was unable to start the Australian Grand Prix after injuring his back in qualifying, and he and his teammate Massa’s team found that their race pace lacked the scorching heat of Malaysia.

I spoke exclusively with the Finn about his rise to Formula 1 and his expectations for next year.

EH: You first sat behind the wheel of a go-kart at the tender age of five, but your interest started a year earlier when you, along with your dad, discovered a go-kart race during the summer. Can you tell me about that day and then your first experience in a kart the following year?

IT IS: Well, on that day, I was actually going to Lahti (a city in Finland) with my father and we saw a poster about the Finnish go-kart championship race. We went there just to check it out, none of us were familiar with the sport. When I first saw it I thought it was great and wanted to go in and try one. The first time I tried a kart was about a year later, I was about 5 or 6 years old and I actually crashed in the first corner of the first lap, as I didn’t use the brakes, and went into the barrier. No one actually explained to me how it worked and they just said “Let’s go!”. That day I learned from my mistake.

THE: In 2008 he won the Formula Renault 2.0 European Championship and the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. That is a huge achievement, you must have been very proud of your efforts that year. How difficult was it to compete in two championships?

IT IS: It was an important and also a difficult year, since [I had] many races between two different championships. [But I needed] to get the support to move up to Formula 3. But overall it was good to get as many kilometers as possible, the season went very well and I won both championships. This was also how I met and started working with my management (Mika Häkkinen, Didier Coton and Toto Wolff), so it was important to show them good results!

THE: You’ve had a very impressive season last year with six podium finishes, including your first Formula 1 podium at the Austrian Grand Prix on an unknown track. Can you put into words how you felt and what thoughts were going through your head on the last lap, knowing you were just seconds away from claiming your first podium finish?

IT IS: Austria was a very special moment, we had been chasing the podium for a long time and the last lap, although you never have to make plans before crossing the finish line, I got to thinking (since there was quite a margin in front and behind) how great it would be to cross the line and get to the podium and meet my team when I get back as the whole team has been working really hard to get good results. The podium was very special, seeing everyone there, it was a very nice day that I will remember forever.

THE: Last year, Formula 1 veteran Felipe Massa joined the Williams team to replace Maldonado. What did he learn from his experience and knowledge of the sport, and how did he feel about beating his most successful teammate in just his second year?

IT IS: My experience as Felipe’s teammate has been very good; he obviously has a lot of experience, he has been in different situations, for set-ups, different conditions, tracks. It’s been good working with him although as a rider my goal is to be faster than my teammate (whoever he is) and score more points.

THE: For a long time the Williams team seemed to be racing in ‘no man’s land’, but 2014 saw a dramatic change in the team’s fortunes. What do you think have been the main factors that contributed to this remarkable change for the team?

IT IS: I think the arrival of [Chief Technical Officer] Pat Symonds has made a huge difference since joining the team in mid-2013. He has been reassigning people in the factory, bringing new people into the team. Now we have the right people in the right positions and that definitely brought us results. Another major contributing factor is the switch to Mercedes-Benz power units.

THE: For a country with a relatively small population, Finland has delivered three Formula 1 world champions (and perhaps a fourth soon). What is it about your home country that sees you produce so many world-class drivers in racing and rallying?

IT IS: First of all, Finland is a motorsports country, it’s part of our culture: we just love F1 and rallying, and it’s true that there are quite a few very good drivers in our country. Also, the level of karting (at a young age) is very high, so this could also explain it. The mentality of the Finns is also good for the sport, we can stay focused and not get too stressed about things, which is very important in F1 in my opinion.

THE: What are your earliest memories of following Formula 1 as a child and which driver(s) did you most enjoy watching races?

IT IS: The first car I remember is the blue and yellow Williams, my favorite at first. One race that stands out as a race is Mika Häkkinen’s first win in 1997 at Jerez! I remember this race very clearly.

THE: After your most successful Formula 1 year to date in 2014, what are your expectations for 2015?

IT IS: In 2015 the competition is going to be much closer between the teams.

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