Valtteri Bottas claims he would always choose Lewis Hamilton to be his teammate in Formula 1.
The Finn is now in the midst of his third year alongside the Briton but has mostly played second fiddle, even becoming known as his ‘wingman’ last season.
Looking to bounce back from that frustration, Bottas has started 2019 positively with two wins and is currently leading the championship by one point.
And as he fights to retain his Mercedes, Valtteri explained why he enjoys partnering Hamilton so much.
“Lewis has been world champion many times, so being his teammate is great, as a good reference and benchmark, It’s also a good opportunity to have a very strong team,” Bottas told Crash.net.
“On the other hand, of course, you’re always competing against your teammate, you’re always being compared to your own teammate, so for sure it’s not easy.
“It’s always difficult to be ahead of him, but I know it’s possible and it has been closer and closer as we work together in the team.
“I see it as a great opportunity and I wouldn’t choose any other teammate, even if they would be easier for me.”
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Together, Hamilton and Bottas have enjoyed the perfect start to the season after four successive one-two finishes, and now some are anticipating a straight duel between the pair for this year’s championship.
“It’s tough to say at this point of the year,” the 29-year-old responded.
“They all have potential to fight for the title, Sebastian [Vettel] is quite experienced, they are now second in the Constructors’ Championship, Charles [Leclerc] is very young and keen to beat Sebastian.
“But maybe because of Sebastian’s experience, if I had to choose one name it would be him [to challenge us for the title],” Bottas concluded.
