Mercedes had its golden time when Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were their two lead drivers. The duo helped the Silver Arrows pick up back-to-back five constructors’ championships. Bottas played the perfect foil for Hamilton’s push toward success. As the Finland international left the team ahead of this season, this American actress emphasized her importance.

Zoey Deutch, a popular Hollywood actress, has opened up about the Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Bottas. While Bottas is in Alfa Romeo now, she did not forget to give credit to the former Williams driver for what he has done. Bottas had been the perfect wingman for Hamilton, forming a solid partnership. However, sufficient recognition was lacking towards the Finn according to Deutch.

Talking about this, The Politician famed actress revealed in Spotify’s Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd, “[Valtteri] Bottas never gets the credit he deserves. He was such a team player, such a kind person. He was like the true definition of sportsmanship.”

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Despite Hamilton being her favorite, Deutch didn’t forget about Valtteri Bottas and his incredible supporting gig with the Silver Arrows. A humble man, as stated in the podcast, Bottas left the Brackley-based team to make way for George Russell in 2022.

Valtteri Bottas and his achievements in Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas joined Mercedes from Williams in 2017. The Finnish replaced retirement-bound, then F1 champion Nico Rosberg. Since he joined, he endured immense pressure, as he had to fulfill the mighty gap left by Rosberg in the team.

Moreover, keeping up with the Briton and delivering performances week-in and week-out, the expectations were sky-high. To his credit, often the 33-year-old not only lived up to the expectations but often surpassed them.

Bottas played the role of a perfect wingman at Mercedes. He picked up ten wins, multiple podiums and pole positions in his five years stay with the team. The man from Finland finished in P3 in his first year with the team and P5 and P2 in the next two years.

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A P2 and P3 finish in 2020 and 2021 respectively, weren’t enough to convince the Mercedes bosses. They confirmed another Williams driver, George Russell, to replace the perfect Mercedes wingman. Presently, Bottas is plying his trade in Alfa Romeo and he’s enjoying life with the Swiss team.