Teammates at Mercedes F1 for five seasons, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas now play for two different teams, but the two men remain very good friends.
The Finn was fired by the German team at the end of last season but was able to bounce back, since he now drives for Alfa Romeo F1 with whom he has a multi-year contract.
After a very positive start to the season for him and for his team, Bottas is currently a little behind in the Grands Prix and has not scored a point since Canada.
But Hamilton, who is keeping a close eye on the situation of his former garage neighbor, says he is doing a great job this year.
“Valtteri and I are very close,” says the seven-time world champion.
« We travel together on most of the races and so we spend a lot of time together. And we always have conversations. I’m really grateful that this friendship has continued because we’ve had some great years and there’s a lot of respect between us. »
Hamilton also hailed the progress of Alfa Romeo F1, having worked with Frederic Vasseur in the past when he was an ART driver in GP2.
« I was really, really happy to see them start the year so well and of course I was winning the GP2 championship with Fred, so I know what he is capable of and this team has a lot of potential. »
« This structure has grown, it was previously called Sauber, BMW, and I’m sure they have very good infrastructure and their future looks bright. Will they do something with Audi? I do not know. »
« They’ve had their ups and downs this year but Valtteri are doing an amazing job. I actually think both of their drivers are doing well given the challenges they face with their car and I’m excited about their future. «
