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Valtteri Bottas concedes his prediction on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari switch was off the mark

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 11:17 AM ET

Valtteri Bottas has commented on Lewis Hamilton’s tough first season at Ferrari, a far cry from the form he showed during their time together at Mercedes.

Bottas was Hamilton’s teammate for four of his six title-winning seasons with the team, and those years marked some of the most dominant stretches of his career.

Over that period, the Finnish star began to recognise that there was no beating him over a full season. But these days, it looks like the seven-time world champion might be falling behind – at least in terms of status within Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc has been the sole provider of Ferrari’s top-three finishes this year, achieving all seven podiums, while Hamilton has yet to score one.

Valtteri Bottas previously backed Lewis Hamilton to adapt quickly

Photo by Anni Graf - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Back in February 2024, not long after Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was confirmed, Bottas expressed confidence that the Briton’s adaptability would help him hit the ground running.

“I’m positive he’s going to do a great job there and shouldn’t have issues getting used to the car, either. He’s a pretty adaptive guy,” the 36-year-old said.

Early signs were promising. Hamilton took pole in his second qualifying session for Ferrari and won the Chinese GP Sprint soon after. But since then, it has not gone smoothly.

Even though he has gradually closed the gap to Leclerc over time, he still does not look entirely comfortable in the SF-25.

Now with Cadillac, Bottas reflected on those comments during an interview with Motorsport Brazil.

“It’s always a big change, especially for him. He spent a long time at Mercedes, so he got used to the way things work. He was very much the ‘team driver,’ you know?

“So it’s a big change, culturally, in terms of equipment and language as well,” he continued. “I think everyone agrees that it’s taking him longer than expected to adapt, but he has shown his speed at times. I think next year will show what he can still do.

“He’s already proven everything he could in F1. I think he’ll be fine, he’ll be better next year.”

Valtteri Bottas believes people did not fully appreciate Charles Leclerc

Bottas had already given Charles Leclerc a heads-up about Hamilton, describing him as ‘extremely fast and consistent.’

This season, some would say Hamilton has not quite lived up to that description. But Bottas feels the focus should also be on just how strong Leclerc has been.

“People need to talk, it’s natural. But maybe some people have also underestimated Charles, how good he is. So, yes, I think he’ll be fine.”

Carlos Sainz has even suggested that Leclerc is better than Verstappen over a single lap. Given his time with Ferrari since 2019, there is also something to be said for Hamilton managing to outqualify him seven times this season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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