Valtteri Bottas admits “it took me five years to realize I couldn’t beat Lewis Hamilton”. Valtteri Bottas reflects on his time at Mercedes with former F1 teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The Post-Nico Rosberg Era

The introduction of power units in Formula 1 in 2014 marked the beginning of an almost unstoppable winning streak for Lewis Hamilton, who became world champion from that season until 2020. The only interruption came in 2016, when Nico Rosberg won the championship, also with Mercedes, before retiring from racing and being replaced by another driver: Valtteri Bottas.

Time at Mercedes

As Lewis Hamilton’s teammate from 2017 to 2021, Valtteri Bottas achieved a total of 10 wins but was never able to seriously challenge the future Ferrari driver for the world title, unlike Nico Rosberg. At times, team orders, like during the 2018 German Grand Prix when Valtteri Bottas was instructed to hold position after attempting to overtake car #44, further complicated his efforts.

The Year of Realization

Since moving to Alfa Romeo in 2022 (now Sauber), Valtteri Bottas recently admitted in an interview with *Auto Motor und Sport* how it took him five years at Mercedes to come to terms with the fact that he couldn’t compete with Lewis Hamilton, even at his best: “It took me until the end of my five years with Mercedes to understand and accept that I wouldn’t be able to beat Lewis over the course of a full season,” he explained. “At that time, he was really at the peak of his abilities. But that’s life. That’s racing.” – the Finnish driver pointed out.

The ‘New Life’

Since 2022, Valtteri Bottas’ chances of standing on the podium or winning have significantly diminished with Sauber, and his future in F1 remains uncertain. However, he has embraced a different lifestyle, appearing less stressed and more involved in activities outside the sport: “It was a combination of different factors,” he said about this change. “I changed teams, which also changed the atmosphere. I found a new teammate and gained more experience. I try not to take things too seriously anymore. In reality, I’ve always enjoyed life, even if I was a bit more reserved or stressed. Maybe now I’m a bit more relaxed and more open to showing this side of myself.” – the former Mercedes driver concluded.