Valtteri Bottas says he does not know why Lewis Hamilton struggled in Jeddah, but admits he’s relishing battling with the Mercedes.
Bottas’ start to life at Alfa Romeo has been nothing short of brilliant. The new regulation changes and a strong Ferrari engine have helped the team make major strides this year.
At the first race of the season in Bahrain, the Finn finished in sixth place, earning eight points for Alfa Romeo. At the Saudi Arabian GP, he was also in course to earning more points, but was forced to retire early.
What’s more impressive is that he went into Q3 in both of those races, taking his streak of getting into the final session of qualifying to 103 races. It’s safe to say that the 32-year old looks like he’s settled in well to his new team.
His former team on the other hand, aren’t having the best of seasons. After eight years of dominance, the Brackley based outfit find themselves behind Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of performance.
They are third in the Championship after the opening two rounds but Lewis Hamilton’s poor display in Saudi Arabia will be a matter of concern for the German team.
Also read: Guenther Steiner says Haas will run both cars at the Australian GP
Watching Hamilton struggle feels ‘weird’, says Valtteri Bottas
Hamilton qualified in 16th for the Saudi Arabian GP, in what was his first Q1 exit since 2017. In the race, he managed to make up some places and finish P10, but earning just a solitary point was not enough for him or Mercedes.
After the race, Bottas admitted that he has ‘no clue’ as to why his former teammate struggled to find pace. He feels that there must have been some issue with the Brit’s car.
“It’s weird to see. I would guess he had some kind of issue, I don’t know,” Bottas said to Racing News 365. “It is surprising to see them struggling, but it’s also nice to be able to battle with them.”
Looking back on his first two races for Alfa Romeo, Bottas says he is very pleased. He believes he will be fighting for points in all races this year. Another thing he’s enjoying is his role in the team alongside rookie Guanyu Zhou.
“I think this was kind of the best-case scenario for our first season together that I could ever imagine, with the information I had,” he added. “I’m really happy with the decision I made, and I’m happy overall as well. So yeah, I’m enjoying it.”
Also read: George Russell offers his thoughts on his advantage over Lewis Hamilton in Jeddah
