The Valtteri Bottas Problem
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- 🏁 Uncover the Secrets Behind Mercedes' Formula One Turmoil! 🚗💨 Dive into the intense rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as we dissect 'The Valtteri Bottas Problem.' Explore how Bottas's departure shook the once-steady Mercedes team, leading to conflicts, surprises, and unexpected challenges. Discover the impact on Mercedes' performance and the Formula One landscape as we delve into the past and speculate about what might have been. Don't miss this intriguing analysis of Formula One's hottest topic! 🏎️🔥
With Valterri Bottas no longer at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, it has thrown the former great team into complete disarray. With two top-tier drivers, each keen to prove something, the balance of power has been constantly shifting and the team isn't sure where to go. With this, it's led to disharmony amongst the Brackley team. Was it wise to replace Bottas with Russell? If not, then why? Would George have stayed at Williams? All this to come!
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The Valtteri Bottas Problem
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In the world of Formula 1, the eternal debate of 'law vs team orders' has once again taken center stage in 2023. The Mercedes team, led by Toto Wolff, faces a critical decision as they grapple with the dynamics between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. With the emergence of young talent George Russell, their venture has added another layer of complexity to F1 news. As F1 enthusiasts eagerly await the latest updates, the question of whether Bottas was a better second fiddle to Hamilton or if Russell will upset the established order becomes a hot topic. Stay tuned for more on F1 2023, as the Mercedes F1 team navigates the tricky waters of team orders and the relentless pursuit of Grand Prix glory.
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How did George get into this mess? ua-cam.com/video/d_ANjePbPKg/v-deo.html
Because LH was supposed to win an 8th title and retire 🤷♂️
@@kurtru5selcrowe607 Thats a bit of an obscure statement. Supposed to win.
Was that reference to 2021.
Or was he supposed to win in 2022 or is he supposed to win in the future. Hmmmmm
Clarification please
George gives me the vibes of wanting to prove he is number one material but he has to just get experience and he will get his chance
cause George has a ego that struggles to fit in the pitlane and instead of spending 1-2 seasons learning from the best driver he only sees Lewis as someone hes already better than and looks to prove it even if it cost the team .Also were you Goku from team4star?
oh boy I cant wait for the follow up video to this after Qatar Lap 1
Valtteri is underrated IMO, he talks about having to deal with the pressure of being in Lewis's shadow and how it affected him mentally. We could see how good he was when the reigns were off at the start of his Alfa stint when the Alfa was still decent
Of course. He did good and should be proud of his work. Lewis won't forget it.
This is actually a very good take and something which I haven’t really heard people talk about. I think bottas deserved more respect with more than singular year contract extensions. He was a vital point in Mercs most dominant era.
Yep, that. Yes, Bottas was on average slower than Hamilton, but Bottas still kept Hamilton honest especially in the qualifyings. And on his best days, could beat the reigning champion in races and qualifyings. And among all that, he was the perfect team player.
@@Sepi-bx5qdI understand the excess pressure to keep him in good form, but a 2/3 year deal at least would have been much better. Like if they were going to stress the dude out that much, just let him have SOME security, or he’s going to leave eventually lol
@@Sepi-bx5qd Exactly. The narrative that Bottas only served solely as a wingman is wrong. Bottas actually said that he fought Lewis when he came to Merc, because he wanted to prove himself but that he eventually gave up and nearly retired, literally admitting that “Lewis’s consistency and performances overall for the whole season, I just couldn’t match”. Bottas out of all drivers had the best qualifying pace and he indeed outperformed Hamilton at times. There relationship as teammates also started to bear fruit and one example is that Hamilton was still fighting for the WDC in 2017 but gave up his podium place at the last lap of the Hungarian GP for Bottas to take the 3 points. GR fans said that Russel shouldn't give up his podium and that it was Lewis's fault for the crash in Singapore but this only caused Ferrari to close in and it almost happened again last race. Consistency is the key word here. Drivers like Max, Alonso and Lewis won't miss their racing line completely, or crumble under that pressure but they bring it home. Bottas despite being the slower driver, managed to do that plenty of times.
Not sure Bottas would have the pace in this mediocre Mercedes to even be in the situations Russell is.
Yes, they should have listened to Lewis and offered Valtteri a multi-year deal.
It was a tough decision. Keep Bottas and risk Russell walking or bring Russell up and risk a change in team harmony which could hinder future seasons.
@@LawVS Russell is not a generational talent. They should have let him walk. They could easily sign Lando once Lewis retired or Piastri, Lawson, Leclerc, etc. There are so many good options. Russell does not stand out from the pack.
@@OgoTheKeeper You say that yet he keeps up with Lewis (even beat him last season), got points with Williams and consistently amazing performances. Saying he doesn't stand out at all doesn't make sense when he has proved many times he does
@@BlissifiedHHyeah this guy is just jumping on the “George Russell bad” bandwagon
@@OgoTheKeeperWell even if Lewis suddenly retires at the end of this season i dint think that Piastri or Lando would be likely to switch. Charles is another story but I’m not sure either.
Mercedes is no Ferrari, where even if they’re bad you’re still able to call yourself a Ferrari driver. But only time will tell.
I'm happy you brought this up. I'm glad Valteri is out because he seems like hes having a better time. Mercedes disrespected him and got what they deserved picking up George.
In my opinion suzuka showed it's not only Russel. Hamilton did the same thing in the first stint as Russel did in the last and it just proves that Mercedes hasn't learned something since 2016.
The real question is, how will Mercedes react. If they do nothing, it's 2016 all over again, just this time they're fighting for podiums instead of wins. Or they name one driver as no.1 but either they'll lose their 7 time champ or their future.
Exactly. George isn't entirely at fault, but his actions bring out the worst in Lewis which is no good for anyone at Merc ESPECIALLY those who rely on Lewis.
@@LawVSwell it just shows who Lewis is. I for my part like it when the drivers in a team are close to each other seeing what Nando and Max are doing with their cars in contrast to their respective Nr2 makes me cry out loud. I prefer closer setups like Ferrari McLaren and Mercedes. I mean it was no fun seeing Lewis dominate without even having any competition from his own teammate.
are you new to F1? Ya never heard of Alonso, and Rosberg???
@@heru777media what's your point?
2007 it was a "war" at McLaren between Hamilton and Alonso and 2014 to 2016 it was a "war" at Mercedes with Rosberg
My point is, if Mercedes doesn't act rn ,we will have another "war" there and it's not all Russells fault
You’d have thought that after rosberg v Hamilton that a double number 1 team won’t work as well as having a 1 and a 2 like there was with bottas. It’s not that I think Russel isn’t good enough, it’s that he’s to good for the role he’s being asked to play
He's in too much of a hurry.
The thing is, this will not go like when Schumacher just left Ferrari back in 2006 (mostly due to exterior factors) and leave room for the new guys.
Lewis is not going to step down, he'll feel like he can go just like Alonso is right now probably until he wins the 8th title and we're not even sure if he'll get a shot soon.
If Mercedes doesn't handle this, Russell might start to wonder if he should even stay at Mercedes. Or worse, they might actually get a shot to a title and end up losing because their 2 drivers keep fighting.
True. Lewis isn't done yet and he won't be until he's got that 8th title. Michael, in 2006, kinda knew an 8th title wasn't guaranteed so he just had fun and enjoyed his tussle with Alonso for that year.
=MICHAEL WENT BC OF HE DISAGREED WITH FIAT BOSSES WHO WANTED TO CHANGE MASSA ON KIMI BC OF *_HE_* WANTED TO LIKE......MAKE FELIPE HIS _REAL_ SUCCESSOR AND TEACH EVERYTHING HE KNEW
...........AND BC OF THAT HIS DECISION.....HIS ENGINE WENT OFF AT SUZUKA,THO...........BC OF *FIAT'S REVENGE* .....
@@robotnikkkk001 is your caps button stuck mate. u can use windows on-screen keyboard to switch the caps off. Or maybe you're just being an annoying twat.
@@robotnikkkk001calm down my guy
Mercedes is not obliged to keep signing Hamilton on. They can let him go, just like that. Could be ugly, but they should have done it already. Only going to get worse in the future.
I feel like George came at the wrong time. Lewis is still in the team and you can't have two Alpha-Driver in a team. It disturbs the harmony.
McLaren are slowly at that point with Oscars progression. He is looming over Lando's neck.
If Lewis retired after this year, George would've been well timed to step up...but Lewis isn't and now George needs to accept that and do what is right for the team.
Oscar is definitely not there yet. He is a very good rookie and I totally think he can get to Lando's level but for now his race pace is definitely behind Lando's. He needs to figure out his tyre management first to really become a threat and I'm sure he will be figuring it out. But all that doesn't really matter anyways until McLaren can give them a (consistent) race winning car, which they haven't yet. Also Lando and Carlos were pretty on par their second year at McLaren and it wasn't really a problem either. It totally depends what type of guys your drivers are.
this also depends on car preference and development ;)@@resathe6760
The biggest mistake Lewis did was to not test the W13 in the simulator
A lot of misfires for sure.
They not only tested on the simulator but built it with the help of AI. The problem was that the simulator failed to predict bouncing.
@@givemeabreak8784you can't simulate bouncing unless you know it's already there
The biggest mistake Mercedes did was not listen to Hamilton with the development of the car as we can see with his input he has the W14 operating better and he is carrying the team and put them into P2
The problem here is that Mercedes is in a complicated position and can't say much to Russell because the understanding at the time Russell was hired was that by now Lewis would have left the sport and Russell would be leading the team. mercedes and Hamilton did not expect this huge drop in performance with the new regulations. Mercedes now also doesn't want to risk losing Russell, but the truth is that this risk is becoming real, especially if we take into account that the renewal of Lewis until 2025, in practice, will be a renewal until 2027 because mercedes won't be able to win before 2026 and Hamilton will want to continue chasing his 8th title which means goerge would have to take a secondary roll for many years and i dont think he will be willing to wait that long.
I actually liked George when he was back at Williams but I saw him differently after that crash he had with Bottas. I gotta agree now he's just plain annoying. But yeah great points made with this video.
He's trying too hard and needs to relax.
Remember when Wherlein was gonna be an upcoming star talent for Mercedes to partner Lewis but then lost his F1 future after 2017 due to him potentially being very difficult to work with? Yeah we can see this happening right now with Russell if he doesn't just accept the No.2 role for the time being when Lewis does eventually retire.
Fair point. George needs to calm down and wait. He's in the team now. He'll get his leadership chance soon.
@@LawVS nope he's Mercedes only race winner since the new regulations. He's good enough to lead them.
Wehrlein
@@rk-wy8puMate, look at his position in the championship this season. He’s nowhere near leading anything right now. He’s being caught by Lando and Ferrari might snatch the 2nd place in the constructor’s championship due to his mistakes and poor performance.
Bottas may be one of my favorite drivers on the grid, and i dont think it was a bad decision to move. I do think him not being in a top car is pulling out more of his flaws but that first season in alpha showed he still had the ability to preform/outpreform his car. He would be a great wingman but merc was a terrible place for him mentally. Getting into the first driver seat as a mentor i feel is the beat thing he could do. Lets just hope he gets a rocket ship when audi takes over the team
In reality, it was good for his mind to move. He seems happier.
@@LawVS legacy wise merc may have been the best place for him, but in his words he never had the team or consistency to beat the more dominant Hamilton
Tbh I don’t hate the scenario. It is not fun when Merc and RB are rock solid and Ferrari is the only one who has problems lol
At least Ferrari now seem a little more sorted.
I agree George has unbalanced the team. But he has something to prove, and Lewis does too, yet Lewis is being just as conflictive as George, and one wants to get on top of the other, and that leads to a never-ending increase in agression. So I think George has to chill, but Lewis has to play the team game too, since he has had his fair share of unsportive behaviour towards George.
Indeed. Two drivers with something to prove and not waiting around to do so? Definitely sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
Merc cannot be certain of how long Lewis wanted to drive for. Hence why they had to sign Russell, despite the obvious inconvieniences. Having said that, Russell and Albon at Williams would be scoring 50 points.
Of course, but I bet Lewis extending until 2025 was a kick in the teeth for George.
I love this squabble. Keep it up, George!
Yes it provides some excitement for fans but I feel for the people who work at Mercedes.
i usually dont like videos with a "what if" premise, but this one is actually very insightful. having george stay at Williams and become more of a team leader and then take Lewis seat when he retires, would have made much more sense in that regard. That way he would've learned how to be a team leader in a team with less pressure and lower stakes. You can clearly see that most of his weaknesses are from his immaturity and insecurity.
George needs to slow down. Simple as.
No the problem was lewis did not win 2021, If lewis won 2021 and stayed on he would have eased out of the team leader role and eventually retire also helping george replace him. Now we have a lewis who is arguably more motivated then ever and pushing very hard. Thus making it harder.
It would have made things smoother for the grand Mercedes succession plan.
Than* ever
In my opinion Wolff is also to blame, he is too protective when it comes to Hamilton and a lot harsher on Russell. One should not have a favorite kid.
They're in a tricky situation. They've got a young driver with potential and an older one who STILL is near his peak.
Let’s not forget the zero side pod concept was constantly supported by George. Hammy was against it. Hammy was right
If Bottas was there the concept would've been ditched for 2023.
I get it from the team perspective, much easier to have a lead driver. But for the spectator, it is far better when every driver out there is giving it everything to try and beat every other driver on the track, including your team mate. The 2014-16 seasons were much more entertaining than 2017-20. Keep in mind that had Hamilton accepted himself as a number 2 in his rookie season his team mate probably would have won the championship that year. But he backed himself that he could beat any other driver as he should. In 2010 Webber was leading the championship with 5 races to go yet Vettel finished one place ahead of him at 3 of the next 4, with neither of them finishing the other. That very nearly cost Red Bull their first ever drivers title.
why in both cases Fernando was the one losing titles🙄🙄
Of course, the spectacle is great for the audience; but for the team behind the scenes it's very harrowing to see points and time being wasted.
YOU CALLED THE CRASH
I didn't expect it THIS SOON!
Russel is a racer period . He didn't fall for the Hamilton Hype! Plus he is British and that helps. 🏁
I really like how the videos are staged in this channel! The attention to detail and creativity is truly impressive. It adds an extra level of entertainment and engagement. I subscribed!
Thank you, pal!
What, you don't miss the rows and rows of books?
It's how easy the approach is...
No Russels idea would have worked in Japan (most likely) the reason the DRS thing didnt work was because they swapped the drivers before doing it, so the fastest car was the one ahead, instead of the slowest car being guarded by the faster car (Hamilton)
I don't think it would've worked as George's tyres were pretty much gone. He was on a one-stop. Had it been a two-stop, he might have fared better.
@@LawVS we will mever know ofc, but I belive it would have been hard but possible, they would have had to go 2 wide into turn 1 and 2 every lap
@@LawVS I agree a 2 stop would have been better though
Hamilton's Mercedes is clearly not fast enough against the inherently faster Ferrari with its newer tyres. Even a slight tyre offset offers a noticeable advantage in high deg circuit such as Suzuka. Coupled that with the fact that Ferrari is obviously faster than Mercedes that weekend, you can see it yourself how fast the Ferrari catch up to Lewis after both have been released from Russell. Russell's idea would've resulted in both Mercedes being overtaken by the Ferrari.
11:39 I think in that scenario they'd likely keep Bottas one more year just to avoid changing both drivers at once, continuity and stability and all that. Also Bottas had been the number one at Williams (back when Williams was front of the midfield!) so he could be viewed as a back stop should George (or whoever replaces the retired Lewis in that scenario) fizzles.
True. Sudden swap.
The formula one world drivers championship is not a cake that should be served on a plate to "sir lewis". He needs to fight for it. First against his teammate.
Which is what he is doing but the team needs to control it so it doesn't get ugly for the entire unit.
@@LawVS control it how? By asking Russell to step aside? Sorry, no. Russell is a much much much better driver than someone like a Perez so that he cannot be simply asked to step aside since everyone knows he's not championship material. Russell has all the potential and fighting a multiple world champion right at the outset is exactly what his career needs.
Remember, Hamilton became a better driver by having to fight with Alonso in his rookie year.
Russell needs to do the same. Stick it to Hamilton and do not take anything lying down. Fight for every single place, every single point. He owes it to himself.
The only way I can see Mercedes problems is for Toto to resign ànd YOU take his place as team principal.
You are correct on what you have said about George. Once again, excellent video. Stay blessed. 👍🏽💯🇯🇲🇬🇧
Haha, Toto is way more experienced and is the right guy. However, all they gotta do is tell George to relax and gather some experience.
Lewis doesn't like when he team mate can battle him, look at Alonso and Rosberg as his team mates, the reason he liked Bottas because he was no threat to him and it's good when you have a faster car then the rest but in 2021 when red bull matched them he was useless
True but that dynamic was good enough for Mercedes to rule the roost for years. The team liked him.
Bottas made merc stable but they made him a shield for Lewis, im not sure if he was happy with that
It wasn't all smiles and sunshine but Bottas got a better deal than he could've expected in 2016. Retiring from F1 with 10 wins and many trophies? Not too shabby. I'm glad he's happy though and doing his own thing.
@@LawVS i risk to say he's better now, with pretty much no pressure, training Zhou, all due to the "I want the other guy to win" interview message
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George reminds me of Leclerc. Joins a team and wants to dominate the former champion in a hurry to prove a point instead of learning. Too bad Mercedes was fair and Lewis is Lewis.
Yes. Definitely. Both men are in a hurry to make their teams' decision to hire them justified.
Ladder Man. a great view on the situation.
i feel Bottas has taken the Kimi approach and is more laid back i feel, hes been doing alot of cycling events with his partner , got to see him fly past in Scotland
Not gonna lie I saw this coming from a long way off. During their hay respective hay days, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes all had clear #2 drivers. I think having two drivers that have every ambition to outdo the other is just a recipe for chaos (I.e Prost/Senna, Hamilton/Rosberg, Verstappen/Riccardo(to a slightly lesser extent)).
You CAN have two good drivers, but you need them to understand that the team comes first and sometimes calls need to be made if momentum sways towards one driver.
During their*
@@AdminAbuse Thanks haha
I refuse to believe George is even significantly better then Bottas. He just has the ego of top teir driver and zero self awareness.
Bottas knew his limits and when to fight. George doesn't know when to quit and just play the team game. He needs to slow down and be patient.
@LawVS Bottas also understood that Lewis is an all time great and the difference between the two of them. If I were ToTo my only goal in life would be to get Lewis the 8th title that was stolen from him in 21. George either needs to know his place or gtfo.
Great video keep it up you're doing amazing things 😁👍..
Dude, aren't you Goku in TFS ? I never knew that you liked F1.
What a small world.
Yep that's me!
I honestly think that George biggest issue is that he is Trying To Prove he is better than Lewis. That is a mistake. Bottas was massively underrated and he was fast. Defending was a bit of an issue but Bottas didn't fight Lewis instead he did as best he can for the team. Not for himself.
Yep, George needs to slow down.
Personally I could see this happening what with George being a man in a hurry and Lewis' surly behaviour towards any team-mate he feels is challenging the status quo. It's true, Valtteri brought out possibly the best in Lewis because he was almost zen-like with the car. And we've seen that when he gets a team-mate that's a bit more feisty, he tends to resort to underhand tactics and overdriving the car. I think this is only going to get worse from here and it's going to be interesting to see how Toto deals with it if he deals with it at all.
Yep. Expect contact of a major kind next year when wins are on the cards.
Finally someone has the same opinion as me. Bottas was consistently behind Lewis. He was the type of number 2 a champion needs.
And then he wasnt.
It's a difficult situation.
In an ideal world, George would have had a year as the 2nd driver while Lewis battled for his 8th world championship. Of course, that didn't happen and Russell beat Hamiltwat. Therefore coming into George's second season he has every right to try and assert himself as the future of Mercedes. It's on the team to say to the drivers at whatever point in the season and say X will play 1st driver this year due to being however many points ahead in the standings. It's apparently what they did while Bottas was there, except everybody knew Porridge Man was never going to offer Princess Lulu much of a challenge.
George is going to make silly errors while he adapts to driving at one of the top teams, when to push or when to sit back and just take the points currently on the table. That's an important aspect of race craft for any aspiring world champion to learn, it's what enables the best to consistently bring home the points.
I get the feeling Hamiltwat doesn't seem too enthusiastic about helping Russell develop, to me he has always come across as incredibly selfish in that regard. This is probably a major factor in his success, but there comes a point in every driver's career where they must put their own ego aside for the sake of the team, I have never felt that Hamiltwat was capable of that. Of course that is just conjecture, I don't know the bloke personally and hope my gut feeling is wrong.
I feel like the plan is going sour. And we got two more seasons of this.
Well narrated, I enjoyed your way of doing this...
Thanks!
You're welcome!
I've been a Russel fan for years now, I've backed him since f3. And he does feel like he's always been a step behind other drivers, no less talented but a step behind.
Max being the psychopathic God given talent he is.
Leclerc getting called up to the 1 seat at ferrari after 1 season at sauber, lando being mclarens number 1 driver pushing out Sainz and beating riccardo, George wallowed away at williams for years and now is in a struggling mercedes which 2 years ago was a almost guaranteed championship. I still belive George is a future champion even with his bump in Singapore which every drivers made mistakes like that.
Ps
And yes I know I said the same about sainz last video, I guess I'm just an optimist and also want the 2012 season back, which is the greatest season of f1 ever
George can do it, he just needs to slow down.
@@LawVS totally agree, his time will come but for now support the team first
I love Lewis, one of the greatest of all time... However they did Bottas so dirty at Mercedes, he didn't enjoy being the wingman, he said it himself multiple times. Bottas deserved way better, I don't keep up much with merc right now but I do agree it does seem quite tense over there.
It's very clinical there and they're professional. However, you feel like the soul isn't quite there. Like you see at McLaren or Red Bull.
Ngl. I doubt George would've just stayed at Williams the entire time waiting on Hamilton to retire, given how desperate he seems while in Mercedes. I'd expect him at some point to try to go to an upper mid field team and try to earn a seat at a top team like Sainz did.
Of course. I'm sure Toto sensed that if a Merc move wasn't coming, George's team would look elsewhere.
But when Valteri was at Mercedes, he had to deal with team orders and the reason why he left was because of team orders. Russell being there is a good choice because unlike Valteri, George didn't had any inconsistency.
At the same time though, Lewis wanted him there and Valtteri did understand the team and the way it worked. In 2022, his presence would've been greatly appreciated in terms of stability.
=HE DIDNT CARE BC OF DIDNT HE CAME TO F1 FOR MONEY,THO???
....................SO......IDEAL NUMBER 2 FOR REDBULL,HEHE
Valteri didn't leave because of team orders. He realised he can't compete with Lewis, would always be a nmbr 2 at Mercedes and George was destined to have his seat sooner or later. He would end up somewhere else in any way so he opted to become a lead driver at Alfa Romeo.
"Didnt have any consistency"
"Mr Consistency"
What?
No the main reason why he left was because Toto didn't want to sign him to a multi year deal also when he was with Mercedes he never missed a Q session. Let's also remember it was Toto who basically put George in the Williams so he's been heavenly involved in Georges career since George was in F2
Many teams seem to have issues searing beneath and coming out spectacularly through onboards.
We definitely have access to way more information and things that might not have made broadcast.
It's called mclaren
After Russell got a chance to drive the W11 in Hamilton's absence for Bahrain-Outer 2020 and given his current frustrations, I suspect if he was made to sit at the Williams "Kids Table" for _another year_ he probably would have had it with Toto & the Mercedes F1 management holding him back and strike out like Oscar Piastri; either switching to one of the non-Merc teams or even jumping F1 entirely for Le Mans Hypercars.
Definitely. Mercedes were stuck.
Calm! Russel is doing good job. Imagine if Verstappen was a puppy in RedBull for Riccardo, or Vettel for Webber.
Lewis is getting older, and Russel getting to his prime. Why Lewis has to keep the nr1 role? Because of what?
George has proved that he ,at least, is as good as 7time World Champion.
For everybody is better to swith for George as nr.1 driver.
About George mistake in SIngapore....Lewis did even worse in Baku 2021. =)
Of course George will have his day to prosper but it's best to read the room in the here and now.
They had to bet on George because he wasn’t going to wait forever and Lewis won’t be around for ever. Get the together so George can learn from LH before he leaves. That was the smart plan with the info they had at the time. Only now LH is staying for longer than they thought and it’s screwing up that plan 🤷♂️
Absolutely. They were stuck. If they delayed him any longer George would have walked.
They should give Lewis a Robottas as a teammate in 2026
Valtron Robottas.
Battery Voltas, straight from Formula E
Bottas really got the short end of the stick. I can't even count the number of times he secured a P1 for Hamilton.
It's really a shame to see Bottas get put in one of the worst performing teams on the grid while Hamilton is still up there getting podiums. We all know Bottas is capable.
George on the other hand acts as though he's God's gift to Mercades, the best on the grid, and Hamilton should move over, bend the knee and kiss the ring.
We know George can drive, but he's still making rookie mistakes when it matters. And the attitude... As they say; respect is earned, not given.
Bottas is a solid wingman and should be celebrated for aiding Lewis to his titles.
Really good points, but from the perspective that George is now on a team that he worked all his carrer to be in and now the team is not at its best on the techinal side and the legendary teammate will not give up the position in the team.. is also something to considerate. George is makeing much more mistakes this season (in my opinion, just a humble brazilian kkkk) because besides 2022 been a good year for him, he still do not feel that the team looks to him and see the future. Even more when we have Lewis signed for more two years but asking for five. He don't want to be a Barrichello, Webber, Bottas, etc. They all good drivers, but will always be remmenber as number 2
He needs to be patient and bed himself in with the team over time. Not just rush in.
Another great take. So glad I subbed back at 1.3k. You deserve all the growth 🎉
If Bottas stayed, car development would have been rapid.
I'm not sure about that but his presence would've made things a lot more calm.
Are you having a laugh. Lewis at the factory as if he’s Adrian Newey telling highly qualified and experienced aero engineers to remove 0.1114 of a mm off the wing etc. what a joke. Lewis only knows what every driver knows i.e does it oversteer or under steer. Comedy gold
Oh well. Thanks for your time.
Finally an F1 youtuber who can actually talk
I’m reality, Albon would probably be the best teammate. I think he would just be gracious to be in a faster car.
As long as Mercedes treated him right,but you honestly get the respect you earn and deserve.
honestly, i would love to see ALB at Merc. he’d be a great person to have as he’s really good at testing plus he can really get every ounce of speed from the car.
The Williams lineup of Russell and Albon would be so good.
Looking at Checo's performances this year, I begin to realize just how good number 2 Bottas was to Hamilton. Only year where he really slumped was 2018 (and no, I don't consider 2021 bad year for him).
He really is a Brotass.
2018 was a year of discovery for Valtteri.
I think Mercedes expected to win the title in 2021( Just an observation, not trying to reignite that story again). Lewis then retires and George comes in. With the eighth title not coming it left the team with a conundrum, sign George or potentially lose him.
Merc were not expecting to have two alpha drivers in the team (A bit like Mclaren in 2007). It has unbalanced the team but I'm not sure George should have to concede to Lewis as both should have to do what is best for the team. George pushing Lewis or Lewis pushing George will inevitably cause issues if you want to do what is best for the team.
The situation makes team and drivers look below their best
Definitely. Red Bull coming on strong wasn't expected.
Bottas is a very gentle and fair driver. He is an overall nice guy with no ruthless killer instinct . He was a very positive strategic element in the team.
He had a role and he undertook it well.
Bottas was really good that q3 streak he had was incredible it’s sad that it looks like he’s lost his passion now
I hope they keep him when audi joins in 2026 his experience will help them build the team
Yep. Not even Lewis had that.
If George stayed at Williams and Albono comes in, Williams would score more points and be up higher in the standings for more money they can use towards the development of their car to get even higher up the grid
It's better for the Williams team.
Russell is bad because he won ?!!!
Wow
2022 was a good year for him, but it was wishful thinking in regards to his overall situation with Lewis.
I am so glad Bottas is not driving for Mercedes anymore. He's a good bloke, but just like Perez, he can't hold a candle to his teammate. I much rather see a more on-par driver lineup, one that can actually race one another. George brings some life into that team, it's nice to see Lewis actually be challenged by a teammate for a change. He's also their future #1 when Lewis calls it quits, you have to invest into the future at some point and Bottas looks to be only getting slower and slower with age, so no point in keeping him as a #2 either.
That's true. I'm glad Bottas is happy. That's the main thing but Mercedes might have been happier with him there for 2022.
I DIDNT KNOW THAT GOKU FROM TFS ALSO LOVED F1 WHAT THE HELL, LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Not a big deal but Valtteri had 11 wins. He was asked to give one win to Lewis in Russian gp 2018. In the same year, in Monza he took the win from Kimi and gave it to Lewis.
Ohhh yeah. 10 wins on paper then.
I’m down for the inter team drama! Bring it!
To each their own.
I had to stop this video to comment, absolutely excellent video and superbly presented, it's your best one yet.
Stay blessed and keep them coming . 😂 I am a M erc fan 🤣🔥☹️
Thanks for the support!
i wouldnt take peters take on anything to do with lewis or merc seriously the man has a serious blind spot and near fanatical love of lewis who can do no wrong and must not be questioned . why in the name of the lord would you risk losing george russel just so you wont annoy someone who hadnt signed a contract renewal at the time and was getting up to 40ish. I know lewis is good but to throw away your future for the past isnt sensible.
Oh it made me think of my own accord too, and it was already my feeling that George has changed the Mercedes dynamic.
Lewis is just doing a Lewis . Because he's under pressure. George is just a fast . As Lewis . But is now running some strange strategy's. All of a sudden. Which causes more fustration for George
I think that George thinks things on the fly and tries to be like Fernando but he's not there yet. Give it time.
Hello dude, I'm from Brazil and using your content to improve my english! What can I say?? I'm here since one day and i'm addicted in this great content!
Obrigado! Thank for you sticking with it.
It's nothing man, just becoming a big fan of the channel! what a precision in all your analysis in all videos with different themes.., you really have a talent for this!@@LawVS
two top drivers are good for the sport. Whilst there's an argument for a one-two dynamic being better for the team, look at Red Bull. We need scraps like Merc and Ferrari between teammates at every team and F1 would be amazing even during periods of dominance like right now. Imo the teams should care less about the WDC (easier said than done), two closely-matched drivers don't take points off the overall WCC with their infighting. The WDC should be purely a battle between the drivers was individually.
Ferrari can make it work and have done.
Love this video so so true spot on mate 💯 might subscribe to this channel good content .. 😊
Cheers, pal! 🍻
Bottas has more consecutive Q3 (103) appearances than Red Bull
That record is a big deal. Bottas was great in qualifying.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I miss pre-mullet Valtteri. That's when it all started going downhill.
To be fair, the Alfa Romeo car this year is just nowhere.
I see a pattern with Lewis. With Rosberg, they started as friends. But when he was really challenged in 2016, Lewis lost. And together with Toto he played a lot of mindgames to get/keep on top.
In 2021, Lewis was really challenged again. And lost again. While joining Toto in playing a lot of mindgames to get/keep on top.
It is 2023 and Lewis is challenged again. And I see mindgames from Toto and Lewis. Just food for thought.
With Nico, it started to unravel only one season in which was fast.
You missed the part of Rosberg using alternate engine modes not agreed to in meetings. Same reason George was using alternate strategy.
Interesting point you bring up about an alternate reality with a George-Alex lineup at Williams. That duo might've been able to give Alpine a run for their money this year.
Alas, we can only imagine in the world of woulda coulda shoulda.
I think Alpine would've been OK but Williams would be closer to 50 points than in reality.
I think people are already revising history here with Bottas. He was a very good, usually quite consistent, pair of hands for their second car, but Ferrari had built some damn good cars for 2017, 2018, and the first half of 2019 (before the ummmm..."deal"....happened with the FIA). Then in 2020 we saw the resurgance of Red Bull at the end of the year but Bottas? He routinely showed again and again he had all the defense of wet tissue paper. So he can charge ahead just fine, but struggles at keeping other fast drivers behind, and RB was quickly showing their hand. I can't imagine Bottas being where George and Lewis are on points in these cars that don't have the edge over everyone. I don't think 'being at peace' is worth the drop in points Bottas would make them suffer.
Mercedes are fine, they'll work it out, and will keep making some progress. It's certainly a problem they need to manage, but maybe we need to view this as a learning opportunity. The team basically needs to say to themselves "Look, Rosberg solved that issue for us back in the day by retiring, so maybe it's time to learn how to manage two star drivers instead of just watching them hold each other back"
I agreed in the video that 2021 wasn't a good year for Bottas but with 2022 the way it was, perhaps a steady lineup might've led to scrapping the zeropods sooner.
Ngl, Lewis calling Bottas his favorite teammate just might be the ultimate example of "damning with faint praise"
That's one way of looking at it. But at least Lewis valued him to some degree.
Maybe it is cause he's not under pressure because let's be honest, Zhou is no threat for Bottas, but I feel like Bottas is driving like he doesn't care anymore. But I think Hamilton/Russell had to happen.
I do feel like Bottas is so chill right now he's horizontal.
Russell came from Williams where he was team leader
He had been sold the hope that 2024 would probably his chance to lead as Lewis either retired or eased off. That never happened.
Lewis didn’t want George because as we saw in 2022 George battered him. Lewis wants a submissive team mate who will slow down and let him past and keep saying how good Lewis is. Pathetic. Lewis isn’t achieving anything this year so George should be able to race.
I don't know. Lewis is doing better this year than last year and so therefore the team priority should be to capitalise on that and get P2 in the constructors; not have their drivers fight for a non-existant championship.
@@LawVS all the mini russells live in last year! What about right now?
@@LawVS Lewis is indeed but I do think George should be able to fight for the best position he can get without Toto dictating from the sidelines.
Last year Lewis was more concerned with helping develop/figuring out the car more than fighting George.
And it started to show the middle of last year to present, with Lewis consistently beating George on pure race craft.
@@kubemaster That excuse is just the worst. Imagine Lewis’s need for revenge on Max and a new team mate and then he’s told by Toto we want you to test the car with square wheels …. So every update they stuck on Lewis’s car made it go slower than Russell’s every single time for race after race …. Lewis will never win a race again unless 5 other teams don’t show up. Lewis is old with a weak back and arthritis. He’s finished.
Bottas wasn’t consistent enough, and that’s that. You can’t have a driver who just on pure lack of skill is down in 9th at Imola, out of the points in Baku, and having so many more just moments that shouldn’t happen
He definitely began to fall off in 2021, but he did enough to keep ahead of the second Red Bull which is what is expected of him.
How can you say Russell is costing them P2 in the constructors??? Bottas was far worse than Russell. They'd already be behind Ferrari if Bottas was still there. If we boil it down into simple terms, the British media are having an absolute meltdown because George Russell is trying to do as well as he can. And the British media are saying 'just stay behind Hamilton and don't challenge him'... yeah seems more agenda based than anything else
I think for 2022 it would've been a necessary situation as perhaps it might've led to them scrapping the zero pods sooner and be stronger for 2023 with more windtunnel time, in theory.
This George issue is a real enigma.
I was ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that George was sabotaged BY the Mercedes team and even from Lewis himself (calling from his sick room) during his COVID infection.
Wrong tires, flat tires, screwed up pit stops. I still believe Lewis just could not afford to have a rookie jump into his machine and win right off the bat. Not in a time that the GOAT narrative was being pushed by everyone in the Hamilton camp (including the SKY pundits who found themselves jamming the brakes on THAT noise.
Enter Max, Newey and Honda.
I doubt that's the case. Besides, we can't really prove that or not.
You've almost done a WHAT IF Valtteri Bottas stayed in Mercedes. Definitely you have storytelling in your blood!
Thanks! I have a whole other channel dedicated to that and the series Dragon Ball where I cut my teeth.
This argument has become a meme that got whipped up and is now being mindlessly parroted all over the F1 commentariat. Ferrari gave Leclerc Sainz to deal with, McLaren gave Lando Piastri to deal with and now Red Bull is talking about giving Max Lando to deal with. But no, Peter Windsor and Team LH wankers know more than the top four teams in the sport. Princess Hamilton is different. He’s a special and delicate butterfly and needs a pristinely compliant wingman who will never challenge him. I know no one really puts it that way but that’s the effect of the argument.
Meanwhile, here’s an interesting fact about Mercedes’ margin of victory in the constructors championship for each of the 7 years of the turbo hybrid era. In the thee years of tough competition with Nico the average margin was 289 points. During the “Valtteri it’s James” years the average margin fell to 149. You CANNOT say that’s a better outcome for the team. Not only was it bad for points but I would argue that Lewis got soft, his abilities degraded and ultimately he ended up dropping the final championship in that era where their car, was far and away, the fastest on the grid.
I dunno. I seriously do think that George's presence has destabilised a tried and tested formula that Mercedes perfected over 5 seasons. However, Lewis should also adapt.
I think Liberty is pressuring Red Bull to introduce some kind of internal rivalry within the team to weaken Max's domination.
That's why they are eager to put Ricciardo's back in Red Bull (and also the reason why they are scouting Lando)
Max's domination is tanking F1 viewerships.
FIA coudn't introduce a fix that could handicap Red Bull, not until 2026.
and the other teams haven't shown any significant promise that they can challenge Max and Red Bull next season.
@@LawVS I would argue that the new regulations alongside the emergence of a certain young Dutchman did worlds more to destabilize Merc’s formula that anything Malevolent George could have hoped to accomplish.
But where does this idea that stability=success come from anyway? Don’t answer, I already know - Peter Windsor and Team LH Wankers. Problem is, that notion isn’t even remotely borne out by history. And I really don’t know how to convince people who insist on regarding 2016 as “the bad times”. Mercedes won constructors’ by 297 flippin’ points that year and was 1, 2 in the drivers’. 2016 was a spectacular success for Mercedes - even relative to other seasons of the same era - which is the whole point! Stability definitely didn’t make Mercedes better. But it may have made them complacent and vulnerable.
« Annoying » is exactly the perfect word to describe Russell 😄
He's not making a good case for himself.
If Bottas would been kept GR probably would be at AMR by now.
Yeah. His team would have walked having been kept at Williams for 2022.
I miss butt ass he was a darn good wing man and he even got out there and won a few. I don't know why but iam the American person who agrees with most everything you say
Cool. Valtteri does need some love.
Valterri was the best lewis teammate. If you want to win championships you have to Rally behind one driver. Lewis has 7 world titles and is here to win championships - why bring in someone new like this? Valterri staying til lewis got his 8th would've been the best thing.
Valterri did have his internal struggles - but I think anyone going up against such a force would - look a checo - checo geneuinely thought he could fight max for the title this year. But Valterri worked on himself and got better - just leaving Mercedes wasn't the cause of that. They had a winning Formula and they screwed it up with George tbh. George is great but do we really see him leading Mercedes like Lewis is when Lewis is gone? let's get real.
Indeed. Bottas improved himself at his own pace instead of trying to beat Lewis which, like Max, is impossible unless you are equally gifted.
@@LawVS yeah it's going to be hard to go into these big teams and beat these guys. These are generational talents with whole orgs built behind them. George has the wrong approach imo. He should focus on delivering good results and being reliable for the team. Because once Lewis is gone he will get the same treatment. But instead he's making waves.
When you have people like Kimi Antonelli coming ( skipping f3 going straight into f2 ), I'd be weary of souring your relationship with Mercedes
Also you should do a video on Kimi, he's insane.
George made his own luck in Brazil in 2022 during qualifying.
Still won though. Results last.
@LawVS something called ethics and integrity. Bit people these days just have short memories and no morals
Best. Intro. Ever.
*Valtteri not Valterri
Thanks! Fixed.
Wait, I thought Lewis was all about challenge and top tier team mates 😄 But the reality shows he always needs team orders to pass him team mates and uses dirty tricks against the others.
Team discord is something Mercedes can't seem to gel well with.
LH is going to be the downfall of Mercedes.
I reckon not stomping out the intrateam issues will be said downfall.
The non combat of Bottas lost the 21 title for lewis. At points he was hurting more than was helping. Wish they took Russel earlyer
Hence why I said he WAS going off the boil in 2021, not quite as bad as 2018 but it was there.