Valtteri Bottas has recently opened up on the controversial Abu Dhabi night in 2021 and its aftermath. The former Mercedes driver revealed the insight into Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff’s condition after losing the driver’s title to Max Verstappen in the very last lap of the season.
Speaking about it in F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, the first thing Bottas revealed was that he had a headache following the infamous race in the UAE. He then added that the aftermath of the incident was painful for everyone.
The Alfa Romeo driver then stated that the “whole team was suffering.” His teammate Hamilton was down, and team principal Wolff was down despite winning the constructors’ championship.
Talking about the reason for this, the Finnish pilot said that losing the driver’s title like that in the last lap was definitely painful. The last lap was unreal, was a big disappointment for everybody, and it took a while for everyone to get over it, Bottas revealed.
The end of the 2021 season was a perfect time to depart, revealed Bottas
The Alfa Romeo star has also touched upon his departure from the team. When asked in the podcast about it, the 33-year-old driver laughed and shared that it was probably the best time to leave.
Bottas further asserted that it was also a bit strange as he returned to the factory for the last time. The people on the team paid huge respect to the Finnish driver. There were fireworks, and he said he was so thankful for the gesture as he got emotional.
BREAKING: Valtteri Bottas will join Alfa Romeo in 2022, paving the way for George Russell to replace him at Mercedes 🔄 pic.twitter.com/zKSHhfbhEe
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) September 6, 2021
George Russell arrived from Williams and replaced the Alfa Romeo-bound Valtteri Bottas before the start of the 2022 F1 season. On the other hand, the former Mercedes star replaced retired Kimi Raikkonen in the Swiss team.
Bottas regards Hamilton as the quickest driver on the grid
When asked about the quickest teammate Valtteri Bottas had in his F1 career, the 33-year-old brought out a not-so-surprising name. Talking about the fastest teammate he’s ever had, the Finnish pilot said it was Hamilton.
Regarding him as the quickest of the lot, the Alfa Romeo regarded him even faster than Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc. Considering the mentioned duo is going through a better patch than the 38-year-old F1 star.
Hamilton and Bottas spent a good five years at the Brackley-based team after the latter replaced Nico Rosberg in 2017. The duo helped Mercedes pick five back-to-back constructors’ championships.
