For Le Figarothe Alfa Romeo driver looked back on his five years at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton.
While taking part in his first race in the colors of Alfa Romeo this Sunday in Bahrain, Valtteri Bottas did not hide the fact that his departure from Mercedes allowed him to leave the shadow of his former partner: Lewis Hamilton .
“Sometimes, yes, it could be hard to express myself. Obviously, when I came to the team, Lewis had been there for a long time. He was already the dominant driver in the championship and therefore in the team. It’s very difficult to shine next to him. I had good moments but it was obviously very difficult to beat him. It’s also because he’s an exceptional driver, endowed with great talent and a great work force. Of course, it wasn’t the best situation to shine on the track. Now I’m out of the shadows and I think I’m in the right place.”
INTERVIEW – Valtteri Bottas: “No one can know fullness alongside Hamilton”
Winner of 10 grands prix throughout his career, Valtteri Bottas also admitted that his five years at Mercedes were not as good as he had imagined. “I’m sure the memories will get better with time. I have the feeling of having been very respected by the team, the people there tell me that they miss me (smile). Of course there were difficult times when I was unhappy. Looking back, there weren’t that many good times at Mercedes.