P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Bottas “in denial for five years” at versus Hamilton at Mercedes F1
Following Nico Rosberg’s unexpected retirement, Valtteri Bottas left Williams to join Mercedes in 2017. He spent several seasons as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, winning 10 races while Hamilton won 50 and four drivers’ titles. Bottas admits that during their time together, he had to be in denial and believe in himself to compete against Hamilton. It was only in his final 2021 season at Mercedes, when he knew he was leaving the team, that he came to terms with his struggles against Hamilton. Bottas acknowledges that Hamilton is better in certain areas, and it was difficult for him as a racing driver to admit that. He believes Sergio Perez might be having a similar experience against Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Bottas had open discussions with the Mercedes team and knew that if he didn’t perform, he could easily lose his job. Despite the challenging situation, he has no regrets.
