Bottas feels pressure from Russell: ''It's a mental thing''
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Valtteri Bottas already looks unlikely to be in contention for the championship after just two races in 2021. With George Russell chasing him for the Mercedes seat, Felipe Massa believes the Finn's situation has not gotten any easier.
Lewis Hamilton has been the undisputed leader of Mercedes in recent years. Of course Bottas says every year that he wants to compete with Hamilton, but in reality he has never really succeeded. In 2021 he will be facing a big gap, and it looks like Max Verstappen and Hamilton will fight it out for the world title.
Pressure on Bottas
''It's a mental thing. It is not easy to fight with a champion like Hamilton. The same goes for Vettel. They are both in a difficult situation and then Bottas also has to live with Russell who keeps chasing him,'' Massa told La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Brazilian was second driver alongside Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, but once fought for the title himself in 2008.
Massa, however, hopes that Russell will eventually get the seat at Mercedes. ''George is very strong, even though he made a mistake in Imola. He deserves a chance and I hope Mercedes will give it sooner or later. I liked the fact that he apologised for his mistake. That is a sign of maturity, that he dares to admit such a mistake'', concluded the Brazilian.