Valtteri Bottas warns George Russell: “I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery”

George Russell and Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas bid farewell to the Mercedes team towards the end of the 2021 season as he starts a new chapter in his Formula One career with Alpha Romeo alongside a rookie and new addition to the F1 family, Guanyu Zhou. George Russell is set to replace the fin on the gird for the 2022 season alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Yeah. This is going to be a fun year. ? pic.twitter.com/qPnyr6Uuss
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 18, 2022

As the transition took place, Valtteri Bottas believes Russell will not have a problem in adapting well to the environment, given the 24-year-old has been a member of the team’s Young Driver Programme since 2017. He thinks the biggest challenge Russel will face in the Mercedes is in beating Hamilton in the same car.

Valtteri Bottas shares reasons why Lewis Hamilton is unbeatable:

“I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery. George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years. But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that. It is his consistency in his performances,” Bottas said in an interview with The Sun.

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“Every driver has 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. 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, and his race-craft. His tyre management is a special skill and all these things are combined with talent,” Bottas added.

Moments in Mercedes Valtteri Bottas is proud of:

Lewis Hamilton on Valtteri Bottas — Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas

While the Finn was always behind Hamilton during his time in Mercedes, he takes pride in being the few who were able to beat the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton as only a few can claim to do so. “He puts in the work, which not many people see, so he is hard to beat,” Bottas said of Hamilton. “I can be proud that on my day, I’ve been able to beat him. But not consistently enough to beat him over a season,” he added.

Bottas is now embarking on a new chapter in his F1 career with Alfa Romeo and looks forward to having the opportunity to lead a team. “When I joined Mercedes, it was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there,” Bottas explained.

Bottas will always cherish his moments in F1 with Mercedes as he was and always be part of history. He talks about his former teammate and the times he has cherished with Lewis.

“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 – and 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.”

Valtteri Bottas is one of the underrated drivers on the grid and his role in Mercedes as the supporting character has helped the team and Lewis come a long way.

Also read: “Sweat and tears!” Toto Wolff opens up on the hard work…