F1 in Austin: Valtteri Bottas at SoCo Tecovas

Formula One is once again taking over Austin as the U.S. Grand Prix gets underway today at COTA. And you don't have to go out to COTA to get in on the fun. Drivers are popping up all around town at different events. KXAN Austin's Libby Faro spoke to one of the drivers at a meet and greet at the South Congress Tacovas. I'm here today at Tacovas right off of South Congress, and I am speaking with the one and only Valtteri Bottas. I hope I said your name correctly. Yeah, that's fine. Yes. Thank you. Okay. All right. Tell us about it. You're here in Austin. You're here for F1. And what are you looking forward to? Well, every time, Austin is definitely one of the highlights, if not the highlight of the season. You know, I love the city. I love the vibe, the style, obviously, and the racetrack. It's awesome. So, yeah, every year it's so nice to be here. Okay, so this is the first year for the Cadillac team in F1. How has it been racing for the new brand? Well, I've been really proud to be racing for such a brand like Cadillac. I mean, it's amazing that they got the entry to Formula 1. It's the first season, so we know it's going to be a year of learning and that's what we're doing. So, yeah, there's been challenges, but that's always what I expected. And your first race in Austin in 2013, and then you won the Grand Prix in 2019. What do you love about COTA? COTA is a really good track for racing. There's always some action and it has a nice flow. It's quite a high-speed track. The weather normally is nice as well. And it should be good. Yeah, it should be good. And like I said, it has this amazing city close to the track, which just makes it even more fun. Yeah, I love that. All right, you're a cycling enthusiast. You cycle throughout Austin. What are some of your favorite spots around here? Well, I always try to find something new and different. I normally have my road bikes. I get on the dirt roads. I've done some of the, they're almost like hiking paths, such as the city and those kind of stuff. But yeah, I just love to explore. You're so brave. I feel like if I got on a bike, I would fall off. Practice makes perfect, you know? It's just practice. We can go on a ride tomorrow. Okay, what do you like about cycling that you don't get while you're driving? Well, in Formula 1, in my sport, it's noisy, there's a lot of people, and you're always on a schedule. Cycling is the opposite. There's no schedule, there's no people, and it's not noisy. So it's kind of mentally kind of noisy. I feel like the noise would be exciting. I mean, I'm from Indianapolis. I'm a born and raised Indy 500 girl. I just love the noise. But you're in it a lot. What are you thinking about when you're driving? Sadly, not much. Really? It's really about concentration and focus. Like focus. Yeah, just focusing on things that matter. Okay, my last question. What are some of your favorite things about Austin? You kind of mentioned it before, but do you have a favorite spot, favorite restaurant? Your favorite thing. Favorite restaurant is every time is finding something new, because maybe something new pops up. Okay, that's valid. Yeah, so, but yeah, great tacos, great barbecue overall. Yeah. Then, coffee-wise, again, there's new cafes popping up every year, so I'll try to... This morning I went to a place called Citizen, just a little bit north of town. Yes. So, but yeah, I'll keep exploring. Okay. But I won't reveal all my secrets. Because, yeah, we've got to just look out for... Exactly, yeah. To call those, what does it mean to be a part of this brand? Well, for me, really, the Austin style is Tecova's. It really is. It's the place to come if you want to fit in, if you want to have the right vibes for the weekend. And yeah, Tecova's actually, US-wise, has expanded, which is great to see. And I'm happy to promote the brand because I love it. Yes. And you're the employee of the month yet again. Yes, again. How does that feel? I think like fifth time in a row. Oh, wow. That's impressive. I've never been the employee of the month before. It feels great, but I'm getting used to it now, so I don't know what's next. Okay, we'll have to stay tuned. Well, thank you so much for joining me, and you guys, F1 is here in town. Thank you so much. Thank you.