Valtteri Bottas doesn’t see George Russell overpowering Lewis Hamilton anytime in the future as the Briton pair set to compete in 2022.
This year, George Russell got his inevitable promotion to Mercedes and is preparing for his first season as a regular Mercedes driver. The Briton is a highly hyped talent and is expected to be a world champion in future.
However, Valtteri Bottas, who Russell has replaced at Mercedes, thinks that right now is not the time. The Finnish race driver warns the 24-year-old that no grid driver can currently beat Hamilton in the same machinery.
He does not doubt that Russell will adjust well within the setup of Mercedes because of his prior experience with the team. However, Bottas believes that Hamilton is at a very high level currently.
“I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery,” Bottas told SunSport. “George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years. But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that.”
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Valtteri Bottas is proud of defeating Lewis Hamilton
Bottas had his moments in his five-year-long spell, even though he never got his shot at the championship. But the new Alfa Romeo driver is proud of his achievements, including defeating Hamilton.
“He puts in the work, which not many people see, so he is hard to beat,” Bottas said of Hamilton. “I can be proud that on my day, I’ve been able to beat him. But not consistently enough to beat him over a season.”
Now, Bottas, for the first time in his career, will be at the forefront while serving a team, for which he is grateful. But he will surely miss his time at Mercedes.
“When I joined Mercedes, it was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there,” Bottas explained. “With him being in the team, it was always difficult for me to take that lead role. So now it is different and a fresh start for me – and having that leadership role is a good feeling.
“A part of me is always going to miss working at Mercedes. Now I have started looking back at my time there. I have tried to take all the joyous moments we had.”
“There were great moments, and I enjoyed working with Lewis and Toto [Wolff], but I am also really excited for my new chapter.
