Valtteri Bottas drops a bombshell about Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari
In a shocking revelation, Valtteri Bottas has weighed in on Lewis Hamilton’s tumultuous start at Ferrari, claiming that the challenges of adapting to a new car are just par for the course in Formula 1 and should be manageable for a driver of Hamilton’s caliber. Despite Hamilton’s struggles — with no podiums or wins in 12 Grand Prix races, albeit clinching a Sprint victory in China — Bottas believes the transition shouldn’t be overly difficult.
Having made a similar switch from Mercedes to Alfa Romeo with a Ferrari engine in 2022, Bottas noted that while there is a learning curve, especially with new systems and features of the power unit, it’s all part of the job. He pointed out differences in user-friendliness, braking systems, and energy usage strategies between Mercedes and Ferrari but stressed that none of it is rocket science.
“Sure, there are things to learn, things to get used to,” Bottas shared on the Red Flags podcast. “And especially if you’re up against a teammate who’s already accustomed to all of that, they’ll have an initial advantage, but drivers always need to be adaptable. You have to be able to adjust to a new car. Almost every year there’s a new car – power units change and so on. So, it’s not uncommon in F1 to always be adapting, always learning, because this sport is constantly evolving.”
“But I know what he’s probably been going through, and for me personally, it was quite straightforward. But we must remember that when I joined Alfa Romeo, there was a major regulation change, so there were already many new things anyway.”
“The user-friendliness is a bit different. The way power is delivered, especially at lower revs. But which one is better? It’s hard to say,” he stated. “The settings, energy recovery, power distribution, different strategies. They have different names, so you have to learn how to use them. Even braking can be a bit different because of that. The sound may be different, but that doesn’t make much of a difference. That’s it. It’s not rocket science.”
In a jaw-dropping interview, Bottas has peeled back the curtain on the inner workings of F1 and shed light on the intense pressure and challenges faced by drivers at the top of their game. With Hamilton’s future at Ferrari hanging in the balance, this insight from Bottas provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of high-stakes motorsport.
