LEW SLAMS BRAKES ON EXIT TALK
‘I want Bottas at Mercedes’
LEWIS HAMILTON has told the critics to lay off his under-fire team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Reports this week claimed Bottas could be heading for the exit mid-season, with Williams driver George Russell waiting in the wings to replace the Finn at Mercedes.
Bottas is 37 points behind championship leader Hamilton after three races, and fourth in the drivers’ standings.
But speaking ahead of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton hit back saying: “I feel like we have the best line-up currently, in terms of the equilibrium that’s within our team. “At some stage it’s going to change. I’m not going to be here forever, Valtteri won’t be here forever but, right now, I think he’s delivered time and time again over the years – and he continues to. “Valtteri qualified on pole last race. It’s only the fourth race. I think people need to give him a break and just let him focus on doing what he’s doing.” Bottas had earlier given short shrift to the speculation with a dig at rivals Red Bull, who have switched drivers repeatedly. “I know I’m not going to be replaced in the middle of the season,” he said. “As a team, we don’t do that. I have a contract for this year and I think there’s only one team that does that kind of thing in F1.
“So no pressure from my side and I know how things are. There’s always bulls*** around, that’s part of the sport.”
Bottas, above with Hamilton, was asked whether he expected to be at Mercedes next year. He replied: “I don’t know. It’s early days. I haven’t thought about it really. At the moment I don’t care. I’m just focusing on this year.”
Red Bull have continued their recruitment drive by hiring five senior figures from Mercedes.
Following last month’s announcement that long-term Mercedes man Ben Hodgkinson had quit the Silver Arrows to head up Red Bull’s new engine division, a number of additional signings were confirmed ahead of the race in Barcelona.
Steve Blewett, Omid Mostaghimi, Pip Clode, Anton Mayo and Steve Brodie, who have more than 40 combined years of experience at Mercedes, will all form part of Red Bull’s new technical line-up.
Mercedes have dominated F1 since the introduction of the hybrid power unit in 2014, winning the past seven drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
Red Bull are set to take ownership of their engine next year when Honda exit the sport
at the end of the season.