Mercedes boss is hopeful for Hamilton and new team-mate
MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff is confident there will be no trouble between Lewis Hamilton and his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas this season.
Bottas is set for his first campaign alongside Hamilton following Nico Rosberg’s decision to retire after winning the title.
Hamilton’s relationship with Rosberg dramatically deteriorated in the three years in which they contended for the championship.
But while Bottas could be Hamilton’s biggest threat to winning the title this season, Wolff does not anticipate their rivalry to boil over.
“The balance between Valtteri and Lewis works,” said Wolff. “They are two very different personalities and for us it was important to fill Nico’s shoes.
“We believe the interaction and dynamics between the two drivers is going to work well.”
Bottas, who was unveiled as Rosberg’s replacement last month, has been at Mercedes’ headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire since Monday.
The former Williams driver has been put through his paces in the Mercedes simulator and meeting his new team. Hamilton is expected in Brackley later in the week.
Mercedes won all but two of the 21 grands prix last season as well as securing a third consecutive driver and constructors’ championship.
But Wolff insists the sport’s all-conquering team will not be resting on their laurels ahead of the new season which gets under way in Melbourne on March 26.
“In some areas in the factory at Brackley and Brixworth the guys are pushing flat out in order to bring the car and engine in to meet the performance targets we have set ourselves,” Wolff added.
“I am most excited to see how the new car is going to go because we all expect them to be much faster.
“We have set aggressive targets for where the car should be going. Will those targets be enough or will other teams get out of the blocks better than us? We don’t know.”
Hamilton, meanwhile, has revealed he received more than 8,000 submissions in a competition to design his crash helmet for the new season. The 32-year-old Briton will reveal the winning entry later this week.