Lewis Hamilton has been a part of some very iconic teammate pairings. The infamous bout at McLaren with Fernando Alonso, the Silver War with Nico Rosberg, the notorious hierarchy with Valtteri Bottas, and now the mentor-student dynamic with George Russell. Each of these duos has given the fans something to look forward to.
However, could Lewis really pick one of the lot as his favorite? There are some obvious nos, but they’re even where there is bad blood, Hamilton keeps things cool with his rivals regardless.
Lewis Hamilton names his favorite teammate
In a lie-detector test with Sky Sports, Hamilton is asked if Fernando Alonso is his favorite teammate. Without batting an eye, Hamilton truthfully responds “no.”
Also read: Mercedes F1 Boss Ends Lewis Hamilton’s Title Hopes With Just Four Words
When asked to pick his favorite from the roster, Hamilton, with a smile, names Valtteri Bottas. Explaining his choice, Hamilton reflects on his “fun” relationship with the Finn, one that lasted a solid five years at Mercedes.
“There was a real camaraderie. But even though he wanted to beat me, there was just a respect that we always had. There were never any games between us.”
We’ve come a long way, me and @ValtteriBottas. Let’s do it up big for our last as teammates pic.twitter.com/oIBmU0buDY
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 10, 2021
Over the years of traveling the world together, the two built a really strong friendship. And it has been one that has lasted beyond their time at Mercedes. Often finding each other during driver parades and their time off on the F1 paddock, the duo remains inseparable.
Bottas’ hot-take being Hamilton’s teammate
While the two were friends on and off the track, Bottas has been transparent about his gloomy role as a second driver in Mercedes. Bottas had explained the difficulty of being forced to settle for a supporting role when every F1 driver dreams of being the star.
He had once mentioned, “It was quite an exhausting five years. I wanted to win everything right away, and then when it didn’t happen, it was hard to accept.”
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Their dynamic at Mercedes had started reaching a level of toxicity, that also helped Bottas leave the Brackley doors happily with no regrets. Now, having moved to the low-pressure environment at Alfa Romeo, Bottas has been enjoying his time as an F1 driver.
Regardless, their relationship has been one of the few examples that rivalry and friendship can go hand-in-hand in F1, a phenomenon experienced by few.
