Lewis Hamilton believes that Valtteri Bottas is the same man he was last season, apart from the Finn's new facial hair.
Bottas rocked up to Melbourne with a new beard and new attitude which, after winning the Australian Grand Prix by 20 seconds over his Mercedes teammate, many believe is a new version of the man dubbed 'wingman' in 2018.
Speaking about Bottas' new found confidence, Hamilton said he didn't see a difference in his approach compared to last season.
"I work with the guy. He’s the same guy he was last year, so no difference for me - except he has a beard!" Hamilton told media ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
"Time will tell I guess. I never thought he was a weak person anyway. I’ve always seen him as a strong character.
"It’s very early in the season, just one race, but, for sure, if you look at the result, I can say that something in my mindset has changed for the year.
"The preparation over the winter and the way I feel and think about things have changed, but it’s quite difficult to explain. I feel different from the years before."
Hamilton also added that Bottas' new appearance would not be indicative of how the season will unfold.
"It doesn’t really change a single thing. Last year, he was very strong. It was a good second year for him. He was very unfortunate in many races, and it’s just a continuation on from that.
"There’s only been one race. It was a great race for him, and I look forward to seeing many more good races from him."
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