Hamilton opens up on Bottas' life after Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has opened up about his former team-mate Valtteri Bottas, and his delight that the Finn appears to be enjoying life in the Formula 1 paddock.

Bottas left Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season after five years of partnering the seven-time world champion. He never really threatened Hamilton in the race for championships, but he got on well enough with the car to pick up 10 wins in those five seasons.

He now races with Alfa Romeo, and picked up a respectable 49 points in 2022 to finish 10th in the drivers' standings.

"It's great," Hamilton told the media in Melbourne. "I just saw Valtteri in flip flops just now, with his tan lines around his socks. It's great to see him flourish, and feeling more and more a part of himself and knowing exactly where he wants to go.

"I think for everyone it's just the whole discovery process, of compartmentalising and just making space for happiness away from the track."

Keeping busy

Bottas has been busy off the track of late, launching a brand of gin and getting really, really into cosplaying being Australian, and Hamilton admitted he was pleased to see his old team-mate having a life apart from F1.

"All of us work so hard," he said. "We're all travelling so much, we're all away from our families and friends so much, so 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 that you find something that you love, whether it's taking a language course or playing an instrument or playing football, whatever it may be. So it's cool that he's got these things that he's doing. I wish him all the best with it."

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