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Valtteri Bottas claims he is unbeatable when he is at his best, but feels as though his best days are very rare. The Finnish driver reminisced on his five-year period with Mercedes, where he won numerous pole positions and races for the Brackley-based team.
Valtteri Bottas has been a crucial part of the Mercedes unit since former world champion Nico Rosberg left the team after winning the title in 2016. Since then, the Finn has collected a total of 10 wins, 20 pole positions, 58 podiums, and five straight constructors’ titles for Mercedes. Speaking to The Race, he said:
“I honestly feel like on my best days, whether it’s a race or qualifying, I’m unbeatable. But unfortunately, I don’t always have the best days. I can’t say that I exceeded any of my expectations. I have pretty high expectations for myself, personally. Maybe a bit too high. I can’t say I exceeded anything. Where I feel like I failed, obviously I didn’t manage to win the drivers’ championship. But it wasn’t simple alongside Lewis. He always got the upper hand.”
Lewis Hamilton outperformed Valtteri Bottas on almost every occasion, with the Finnish driver being known to struggle with race pace despite having the strongest car year after year.
It wasn't all lost for the 32-year-old, however, as he placed second in the drivers' championship in both 2019 and 2020, ahead of drivers such as Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel.
Bottas has tested 2022 cars for both Mercedes and future team Alfa Romeo in simulators, claiming the cars "roughly feel the same" despite numerous regulation changes.
Lewis Hamilton claims Valtteri Bottas "perfect teammate"
In a touching social media tribute to his teammate, Lewis Hamilton praised Valtteri Bottas as a driver and person, calling him the perfect teammate for his efforts. The Finn often placed P2 behind Hamilton, helping him secure his lead over the rest of the field, both in races as well as in the drivers' standings.
The seven-time world champion said of his Mercedes teammate:
“He has been the best team-mate I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Your speed and resilience has been impressive but where you truly stand out to me is the human being you are. You are greater than you know and I know there's a bright future ahead for you.”
Valtteri Bottas is set to replace fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo in the 2022 season, who retired after 20 years in the sport.
