Valtteri Bottas aims big with Alfa Romeo as he dreams of 'getting on the podium' again

Valtteri Bottas is dreaming of tasting champagne on the podium again as he prepares to embark on his second season with Alfa Romeo.

The Finnish driver had a fruitful stint at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton before moving to Sauber last season. While he enjoyed a run of positive results at the start of the season, the highlight of which was a P5 finish at Imola, the team's performance slipped considerably as the campaign progressed.

Now in sophomore year with the Zurich-based outfit, Valtteri Bottas is hoping to improve his and the team's performances in 2023.

While speaking to Reuters during the launch event of the Alfa Romeo C43, the 33-year-old said:

"The goal for this season is to finish higher than last year and to be much more consistent. Last year we had too many ups and downs. Also, secretly, I always dream of finishing on the podium, so let's see."

Bottas' last podium finish came back in the 2021 F1 Saudi Arabian GP back when he was driving for Mercedes and it will take some doing on his and Alfa Romeo's part to return to those lofty heights this year.

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"I feel good. Physically I feel fit" - Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas feels he still has many years of F1 in him

Valtteri Bottas is adamant that he still has many years of F1 in him. The 33-year-old is all set for his 11th full season in the sport as he prepares to take Alfa Romeo to newer heights.

When asked if he feels he can keep racing at the peak of open-wheel motorsport during the launch event of the C43, Valtteri Bottas said:

"I feel good. Physically I feel fit. In the car I feel good. I have never had a single sign of a drop in performance since I started my career. I always feel that in every season you learn something new and in this way you become better and better. I still have many years ahead of me, without a doubt."

However, Bottas and Alfa Romeo will have to plot their way forward without the leadership of Frederic Vasseur, who joined Ferrari to replace Mattia Binotto as team principal.

Alfa Romeo has brought in Andreas Seidl from McLaren to take over the team and it will be interesting to see how the team fares under his stewardship in 2023.

The overall competitiveness of the team and the new C43 can be assessed further when all teams hit the track for pre-season testing in Sakhir in the coming days.