Valtteri Bottas singles out Lewis Hamilton and two other F1 drivers

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Valtteri Bottas has singled out Lewis Hamilton and two of his Formula One rivals as some of the only drivers who have shown genuine personality at Grand Prix weekends over the last few years. The Finn, who spent five years racing alongside Hamilton at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, has started to come out of his shell during his time at Alfa Romeo after gaining a reputation as a relatively quiet and subdued driver with the Silver Arrows.

Bottas has been more willing to express his true self over the last couple of seasons, with the 33-year-old having grown a bold moustache and mullet combo in recent months before turning up to the Australian Grand Prix in a tank top and flip-flops. He has since expressed his frustration at the overly sanitised personalities of most F1 drivers at present, pointing to Hamilton and two of his rivals as the biggest exceptions to the rule from the current generation.

“It is a tricky thing and it is sometimes difficult to see the real personalities on track,” said Bottas. “Obviously, once you get to know the drivers outside the track, then you can really see their personalities but the way you do the interviews, the way you behave in the sport, in the events and so on it’s pretty much standard, so that’s a bit of a shame.

“I think over the last 10 years there were some personalities, like Daniel Ricciardo, who really came up showing his personality and then also Lewis and, later, even Seb [Vettel] and it’s good to see. But it’s just how it is, I guess, it’s a serious business and there are big companies involved.”

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Bottas blamed the corporate influence on F1 as the main reason why many rookies are “almost educated on how to behave and how to brand” themselves in order to keep their sponsors happy after making the step up to motorsport’s premier class. His own growth in confidence has not gone unnoticed by his peers in the paddock in recent weeks, with Hamilton hailing his progression when quizzed on his former team-mate’s new laid-back approach earlier this month.

“I just saw Valtteri in flip flops right now with his tan lines around his socks, his sock line,” laughed Hamilton at the Australian Grand Prix. “It’s great to see him flourish and feeling more and more a part of himself and knowing where he wants to go.

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“I think just for everyone, it’s a whole discovery process, isn’t it? Compartmentalising and just making space for happiness away from the track. I think probably the same applies to everyone here, all of us work so hard, we’re all travelling so much, we’re all away from our families and friends so much that we’re missing out on a lot of things.

“What are you doing to make time for yourself, and for something that makes you happy? I think that’s such an important thing for mental health, to make sure you find something that you love, whether it’s taking a language course or playing an instrument or playing football, whatever it may be. It’s cool that he’s got his things that he’s doing, I wish him all the best with it.”

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