Valtteri Bottas rode the Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton for five years and during that stint, he was left impressed by the latter.
For the 2022 season, Valtteri Bottas will be driving an Alfa Romeo alongside rookie driver Guanyu Zhou. Having spent five seasons with the Mercedes team and Lewis Hamilton, Bottas explains what sets the Briton apart from others on the grid.
Hamilton won four of the five championship titles that Bottas raced with him for the same outfit. Now though Bottas has been replaced by George Russell. The time that the Finnish driver spent with the seven-time world champion left him impressed by the latter’s ability to remain consistent.
Bottas said, “It is his consistency in his performances. Every driver has a form that is a little bit up and down, but his baseline for performance is just so high. Even when he has a bad day it is not too bad. It is his consistency over the season.”
Valtteri #Bottas getting into his Alfa in a stunning race suithelmet combo. 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/k5zh3YEh94
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The new Alfa Romeo driver further highlighted Hamilton’s ability to adapt to different conditions. “Another of his key strengths is his ability to adapt to different conditions, the skill to react to changes, be it set-up or whatever,” Bottas added.
“This and his race-craft. His tyre management is a special skill and all these things are combined with talent.”
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Valtteri Bottas positive about starting a new chapter
While Bottas could never beat Hamilton to championship, he is proud to have beaten him on some occasions. Bottas said that with Hamilton at Mercedes it was always difficult for him to take on the lead role. Therefore, with Alfa Romeo, he is looking forward to it.
The Finn explained, “When I joined Mercedes, it was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there.”
“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. 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 positive moments we had.
“There were great moments and I enjoyed working with Lewis and Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss], but I am also really excited for my new chapter.
“I’m sure with the experience I have with Williams and after five years at Mercedes, I will be able to help the team move forward. I feel really comfortable with my role. Yes, there is a responsibility and I have commitments to the team, but it is exciting.”
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