Bottas defends Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles, says Leclerc is better than people think
Valtteri Bottas has jumped to Lewis Hamilton‘s defense as the seven-time world champion weathers criticism during his rocky first season with Ferrari.
“People need to talk, it’s natural. But maybe some people have also underestimated Charles, how good he is,” Bottas said during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
The Finnish driver knows Hamilton better than most, having spent five years as his teammate at Mercedes before departing after the 2021 season to make way for George Russell.
Now, after three years with Sauber, Bottas is returning to Mercedes for 2025 as the team’s reserve driver while he awaits his next full-time opportunity. He’s already lined up a seat with Cadillac for their F1 debut in 2026, where he’ll partner with veteran Sergio Perez.
When asked about Hamilton’s form at Ferrari, Bottas highlighted just how tough switching teams can be – especially for someone like Hamilton.
“It’s always a big change, especially for him,” Bottas explained. “He stayed at Mercedes for a long time, so he got used to the way they work.”
“He was very much the ‘driver of the team,’ you know? So it’s a big change, cultural, equipment, language as well.”
The adjustment has clearly taken longer than many expected. Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with massive expectations but has found himself regularly outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc.
“I think everyone agrees that it’s taking longer than expected for him to adapt, but he showed his speed at times. I think next year will show what he can still do,” Bottas said.
He believes much of the criticism stems from people underestimating just how good Leclerc is.
“People need to talk, it’s natural. But maybe some people have also underestimated Charles, how good he is. So yes, I think he will be fine.”
## Hamilton under fire
The criticism has been mounting. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher recently suggested that Hamilton’s performance doesn’t justify his massive salary, and Ferrari chairman John Elkann might be questioning the investment.
Schumacher went so far as to suggest Ferrari should thank Hamilton for his efforts and replace him with young talent Oliver Bearman alongside Leclerc.
Despite these harsh words, Bottas remains confident his former teammate will find his footing at Ferrari given more time to adjust.
