Lauda: Bottas will be able to freely attack Hamilton

While Valtteri Bottas was confirmed this Monday January 16 within Mercedes F1 replacing Nico Rosberg, the non-executive vice-president of the star-studded team Niki Lauda was invited to comment on the German channel RTL on the Finn's arrival and to justify the choice of the team which could offer the wheel to his protected Pascal Wehrlein finally announced at Sauber.

« Bottas is the best, explained Niki Lauda. I think he can be as fast as Nico, that's why we're going to start the season with him and Hamilton. Until now we were looking for two top drivers. Nico and Lewis were a good example as they were neck and neck. »

“He’s a calm Finn and I like that about him, added the three-time world champion. He doesn't talk much but he's a hard worker. Toto (Wolff, the executive director of Mercedes Motorsport and former manager of Valtteri Bottas) and I have known him for years. As always, both pilots will be able to fight freely. It has never changed at Mercedes and it will never change. »

If Niki Lauda had taken the sudden announcement of Nico Rosberg's retirement badly, he assures that this bad memory is now behind him.

“The mark left by the loss of Nico is completely gone. I now feel very relaxed because I believe we will have a crew of the same level with Bottas”, explained the Austrian.