Valtteri Bottas left Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season to join Alfa Romeo and had a great start to life at the Hinwil-based outfit. In the first half of the 2022 season, Bottas’ Alfa Romeo was quick enough to compete for the points, which often brought him close to former teammate Lewis Hamilton on the track.
The latest episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast features Bottas comparing Alfa Romeo’s current performance to that of their last year’s. In doing so, he reminded everyone that last year at this time, he was tussling with Hamilton’s Mercedes on the track.
This would open up some old wounds for Hamilton and the Silver Arrows who had a woeful start to the 2022 season. They were supposed to be one of the top teams but spent the first few races of the year stuck in the midfield, where the likes of Alfa Romeo and Haas were challenging them.
As the year progressed, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton started improving on their pace whereas Alfa Romeo’s performance took a hit. However, the first few months of the 2022 season were as difficult for Hamilton as it was ecstatic for Bottas.
Valtteri Bottas talks about Alfa Romeo’s demise
Bottas was talking about the highs of the start of his Alfa Romeo spell but admitted that the team’s performance deteriorated since then. The second half of the 2022 season was majorly underwhelming for the Finn, with only some noteworthy moments to remember.
Their start to the current F1 season has not been particularly promising either, with their points haul significantly lesser than it was last year at this time. The team has a total of six points currently, with four points being scored by Bottas and the other two by Zhou.
However, in the podcast, Bottas insisted that he isn’t very worried about the car’s pace, particularly because it is still too early in the season. The 33-year-old is sure about them returning to the front, and even added that there are some tracks in the coming rounds that will suit the car more.
Lewis Hamilton winless in F1 for almost two years
Lewis Hamilton’s last win in Formula 1 came at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, which was almost two years ago. Since then, Mercedes and Hamilton have been through some difficult times, with the regulation changes of 2022 hitting the team hard.
Last season, Hamilton’s new teammate George Russell brought home the only race win for the Brackley-based outfit when he led them to a 1-2 finish in Sao Paolo. Hamilton, who is currently a seven-time world champion, is desperate to win his eighth title soon. However, to do so, he has to start winning races again which is difficult because of the car he is driving.
Red Bull’s dominance in 2023 so far has left Hamilton and Co. miles off the top step of the podium, but the Brit will be hoping for a change in fortune soon, as he looks to create history before calling time on his F1 career.
