Surprised Bottas backs Hamilton to succeed at Ferrari،
Lewis Hamilton's former Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas says he expects the seven-time Formula 1 world champion to be a good fit for Ferrari when the British driver joins the Italian team next year next.
The move was announced last week after Hamilton, 39, exercised a termination clause in his new contract and signed the sport's oldest, historically most successful and most glamorous team to a multi-year contract at from the start of the 2025 season.
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“I never thought this would happen,” Bottas said on Monday evening at the livery launch of his Sauber-led Stake F1 team in London.
“I thought in my mind he would stay at Mercedes, but it's Formula 1. Things happen, and I think it's good for him because he obviously made the decision and it's a new departure.”
“This is a big step in F1, which will certainly create movement also in the driver market.”
Hamilton will join Charles Leclerc, who has a long-term contract, at Ferrari, a team which last won a constructors' championship in 2008.
Other multiple champions, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, have tried unsuccessfully to win titles at Ferrari since Kimi Raikkonen was crowned the team's most recent drivers' champion in 2007.
Hamilton is the most successful driver of all time in the sport, with a record 103 victories, and Bottas said he expects him to fit in well with a team that is now managed by the Frenchman Fred Vasseur – who worked with Hamilton in his junior career.
“I think he will. He's got so much experience in the sport. He's dealt with a lot of different people in the sport, I think there's no problem with that,” said Bottas.
I'm sure it will be quite an exciting project for him to try to reach the top with Ferrari.
“If anyone can do it, he can do it. … I think after a few races already, he'll be settled in and he can go from there.”
Bottas' future remains uncertain, with the 34-year-old entering his 12th season in the sport. He and Hamilton were teammates at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, a period which coincided with a period of dominance for the team.
The Finn is increasingly busy pursuing his interests outside of sport. He is active in cycling and promotes his wine, coffee and gin brand.
“For a long time I had different projects, and now I've really found the right setup because I cover pretty much all of my passions,” he said.
“At the end of the day, which hopefully won't happen for many, many years, these things will definitely keep me busy. [after F1]besides always driving something else without a doubt.
“In the past I wasn't allowed to do anything involving alcohol, but now with the current contract I can do it. Before I was kind of stuck.”
