
© Wolfgang Wilhelm for Daimler AG
Valtteri Bottas says he can work well with Lewis Hamilton, even though the two are not “very close” in their personal lives.
Bottas spoke to Ilta Sanomat newspaper about the driver market situation for 2021. While the Finn is still unsure whether he will continue his relationship with Mercedes in 2021, several big names like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have already extended their contracts with their respective teams.
“Everything is a little open after this year, so maybe they wanted at least one driver to be clear,” said Bottas.
“Then, you can’t be too surprised. Both [Leclerc and Verstappen] are young and have already shown their skills. The teams know there is no risk in keeping them.
“Why not? It’s a good thing that can stabilise things in the driver market.”
The 30-year-old went on to say he has a good relationship with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
“If there was [tension], then it was very little.
“We were able to work together and we’ve never been so close together. We race really hard against each other, but we’ve never had any big problems.
“It’s healthy that you are not racing with your best friend and the team is pretty careful that the chemistry works between the drivers,” concluded the Finn.