Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas has had a bumpy ride at the most recent United States Grand Prix. After teammate Zhou Guanyu acknowledged their lackluster performance at COTA, Bottas admitted that he was rather disappointed at their pace and highlighted that the layout of the track might be one of the primary reasons behind it.
As the teams are headed towards the Mexico Grand Prix, the Finn has launched a collaboration to commemorate the upcoming event.
What better way to get Mexicans excited for the Grand Prix than the TACO merchandise? The Alfa Romeo team and Valtteri Bottas have introduced a stunning F1 collection. From caps to beautiful pastel t-shirts with “I’m here for the TACOS” written on them.
The Bot-Taco Truck launch also features Bottas’ Australian girlfriend, Tiffany Cromwell. The collection is mostly affordable and ranges between $42 to $45 while the stylish caps are somewhere around $50.
I’m here for the tacos 🌮
Shop the Mexico GP BOT-TACO merch here: https://t.co/bCv5PzAiNX
Design by @tiffanycromwell #VB77 #F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/wbbDxydfmD
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) October 24, 2023
They also have a wide range of bucket hats, hoodies, waist bags, and crossbody bags. The Finnish driver has also recently advertised for a cycling event that will take place in the city of Adelaide, Australia with the company called GRVL.
Although this promotion incident was a scandal altogether, Valtteri Bottas has been associated with several events lately that go beyond racing on the track.
Highering ride height at COTA may have penalised them more according to Valtteri Bottas
A number of racing drivers faced an unusual challenge on Austin’s treacherous Circuit of the Americas. To compensate for the harshness of the track, they opted to raise the ride height of their cars.
Due to the potential of how this modification may impair the performance of their vehicles, a number of teams found themselves in a difficult situation with only one practice hour to make the best choice. Amidst all of this, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified for having thin planks on their cars.
It’s the #MexicanGP 🇲🇽 up next! The air is thinner at the elevation of the Mexico City circuit, lowering the overall drag penalty.
Expect Mercedes ⚫️ to be quick around Mexico
Valtteri Bottas holds the fastest lap record (2021) in Mexico
🎶Song clip: F1lasvegas #F1 pic.twitter.com/vC1xICaw9X
— CodeF1 (@code____F1) October 25, 2023
Valtteri Bottas and Alfa Romeo, on the other hand, took a less radical strategy, preferring reliability above pure performance, even though they both wanted to push boundaries. According to the driver, “My feeling at the moment is that it was track-specific because it’s quite a bumpy track, so we need to lift the car up and I feel that is more penalizing for us than for other cars.”
The bumpy nature of the COTA track became a hot topic of discussion throughout the weekend, and Bottas was particularly critical of the track’s surface. Valtteri Bottas is still upbeat about Alfa Romeo’s chances for this next weekend in Mexico, despite the challenges that they have encountered lately.