Lewis Hamilton has given a ‘thumbs up’, to new Mercedes recruit Valtteri Bottas, according to silver arrows boss Toto Wolff.
The flying Finn put pen to paper this week after the mighty Merc squad, cut a deal with Williams for the drivers services.
Wolff said: “Lewis said he thought Valtteri was a nice guy.
“One of the guys he actually got along with well in Formula 1 and he felt he was a good option.”
Wolff, who spoke to Finnish commentator Oskari Saari for a podcast, even thinks that the garage can be a happier place this season. Tensions were often high between the triple champ and former driver Nico Rosberg.
“I think that works well,” he added. “It was OK already between Nico and Lewis, but there was the luggage of the past… Now it is a completely new relationship and there is no animosity.
“There will be moments where it is going to be difficult, but I think that how the personalities are for the team it’s going to be a good situation and one that is maybe a bit easier to handle than the past. But I could be wrong.”
Focus then shifted onto the subject of Valtteri’s contract, after the team confirmed the deal was infact for one season with the option for 2018.
Vettel and Alonso are known to be out of contract for 2018, a mouthwatering prospect if Mercedes choose one of those options.
“We wouldn’t have chosen Valtteri if we thought that he was not good enough to continue with the team,” said Wolff.
“But, as a matter of fact, the market is very dynamic at the moment. Next year options open – young drivers, Sebastian, Fernando, Valtteri, many of them. So it is about understanding that – and Valtteri does.
“Equally we have great faith and confidence in him that he can stay with us for a long time, but now we need to see how the season goes.”
Either way, the opportunity was too good to turn down for Bottas. Whom many believe is quick enough to get amongst it with his new team mate.
Who wouldn’t have signed for a championship winning car!
Bottas is now the “Goose”
1. Goose to Lewis’ Maverick – always ready, willing and able to support the main guy and come second.
2. He’s gonna be played for a goose – used and abused for a year then prolly discarded.
Or is he a turkey? Living a great life, wanting for nothing, with everything going great until he’s unceremoniously terminated in late November 2017.
Poultry… with a paltry genuine WDC chance…
This is a greek tragedy. This is just funny. It will be like watching a trainwreck in motion. You know its going to be a complete mess but you cant help but watch it anyway. Well done Mercedes. You have finally injected some humour into the sport.
This is such disappointing news. In the new chapter that is 2017, billed as putting making the driver the hero again, I believe we have been robbed of some seriously juicy pairings. I honestly hope for a Christmas Doctor Who-esque miracle for McLaren Honda and look forward to the Newey magic to make up for what I foresee (and honestly hope am wrong about) as the 2017 Lewis Hamilton show.
I fear that you may be right. This could be the most one sided championship ever as Bottas’s manager Mr Wolf will make sure that he does not upset the chosen one. What a shame for everyone on the Mercedes young driver program that they were not given a chance.
You mean Mr Bottas’ ex-manager …
Little faith the little ones have…
The visual image of Bottas may deceive. Such a nice blond guy always with a polite look. He is actually a very determined guy who will show his speed in when he gets in the car. He’s also unflappable in terms of maneuvering by a colleague like Lewis Hamilton.
Think of him as a Kimi that is more determined, works harder and with longer term goals, manages to adapt to different cars faster than the original, while also able to chat 😉
Lewis Hamilton thought that he got a copy of the Niceman Heikki Kovalainen, but he got the monster Kimi 2.0 😀