In Valtteri Bottas Mercedes seems to have really found the perfect teammate for Lewis Hamilton. In four seasons spent together with the former Williams driver, the Englishman has always hit the world title – in the last two seasons with Bottas second in the championship – and between the two it has never reached the ‘tense stories’ seen so often in the difficult years of coexistence between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The ideal solution for the Brackley team, who in fact agreed to reconfirm Nastola’s pilot also for 2021. However, experts and enthusiasts are convinced that much of the good relationship between the two depends precisely on the lesser ‘threat’ that the Finn represents for the seven-time world champion.
End-of-season report cards 2020: Valtteri Bottas
Hamilton has often denied this kind of reading in the past and his opinion has not changed. Interviewed by the English site Autosport.com precisely in relation to Bottas’ debated performances during 2020, Hamilton reiterated his esteem towards the partner: “I don’t know how many other nice words I can say about Valtteri – explained the Stevenage pilot – I don’t think Valtteri needs to defend his performances and I don’t feel I have to. I think he kept working on it. We had some very close qualifying, especially this year. It is never easy to have strong teammates. It is a constant battle, both mental and emotional, throughout the year “.
Bottas: “Losing for four years in a row is hard”
This year, however, Lewis Hamilton almost always came out of these battles. However, the Englishman continued to highlight how, despite Bottas’ ambition being to take away the world crown, the off-piste relationship between the two is always’ healthy ‘: “What’s really great for us is that we fight hard on the track, but then when we are out we manage to maintain a gentlemanly working relationship. I think it’s a great demonstration of his personality and character as a man. I know it will take further steps forward – concluded Hamilton – so I have to find a way to have some more speed for next year ”.
