Valtteri Bottas explains "failure" with Mercedes against "high-level" Lewis Hamilton

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Bottas explains "failure" with Mercedes against "high-level" Hamilton

Bottas leaves Mercedes after five seasons as Hamilton's team-mate

Ian Parkes

Thursday 11 November 2021 13:50

Valtteri Bottas feels he will leave Mercedes at the end of this season "a failure" after being unable to win the F1 world title.

After five seasons with the team, Bottas heads to pastures new next year with Alfa Romeo, going from a championship-winning team to one hoping to thrust its way into contention under the new regulations from 2022.

Across his time with the team so far, the Finn has won 10 grands prix, finished on the podium an additional 46 times and claimed 19 pole positions.

But Bottas will leave without the one piece of silverware that truly matters.

"I want to be the best, I want to be the champion," said Bottas, speaking in the Beyond the Grid podcast.

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"So in a way that kind of feels like a failure, that I haven't been able to achieve that with Mercedes.

"But I've tried everything. I've given everything. It just wasn't meant to be."

Hamilton 'the king of consistency'

Instead, while Bottas has helped Mercedes to four consecutive constructors' titles - with a fifth still possible this year - he has had to watch team-mate Lewis Hamilton become champion on each occasion.

Recognising Hamilton's undoubted talent, he added: "I would say the biggest difference between me and Lewis in recent years was that he's always been able to perform at a high level. He rarely had bad weekends.

"He obviously had some, but less than me, and it is impressive how he can always be there, no matter what conditions, which track, what life situation, whatever. Once he gets in the car, he always delivers."

More often than not, Bottas has been forced to play second fiddle to Hamilton, taking on the role of 'wingman', a term he dislikes.

Appreciating circumstances have dictated, he said: "The thing is, there were some seasons that I started pretty strong, then there were unlucky moments, or maybe I had a bad race or two.

"Lewis always kept performing in a really consistent way, all the time. Once there was then a bit of a gap in the points, obviously, the focus starts to shift to the car that is most likely going to win the championship."