Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Valtteri Bottas recently spoke about the new three-time World Champion Max Verstappen and his qualities. Bottas is no stranger to close wheel racing with Verstappen, as he fought hard with him on many occasions during his last couple of seasons with Mercedes, in particular during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Bottas acknowledges that the Dutchman Verstappen always had the raw talent but now is very hard to beat with the mistakes and lack of patience in his younger days ironed out.
“His raw talent is huge but now that it’s combined with experience and consistency. I think that’s hard to beat when somebody is on that kind of level with great confidence, and he barely does any mistakes now unlike at the very beginning of his career — and being in the fastest car at the moment. It’s that combination, and then it just feels itself.
“He’s definitely in a good place and dominating the sport at the moment – but it’s a combination of experience and talent.”
Expanding further on Verstappen winning this year’s championship, the 34-year-old Finnish Alfa Romeo driver agreed when asked if he thought it was ‘weird’ for the championship to be won on Saturday.
“For sure. For some fans it’s not ideal. I think everyone would love to see the championship battle go to the last race, but that’s how it goes sometimes in Formula 1.”
While Verstappen has won 14 of the 17 races this season to date, Bottas says the racing behind that he has seen has been great.
“But at least I feel like the racing overall is good — maybe not for the first place sometimes — but behind that from what I’ve seen is quite entertaining,” concluded Bottas.
