Max says that Bottas was driving slow

Max Verstappen has torn into Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas saying that he was driving slow last season for the car that he was in.

Bottas finished fifth in the championship behind Verstappen this year but the Dutchman believes he should have been at the top because of the car.

"Most drivers would become world champions in that car,” Verstappen said (express.co.uk).

The 21-year-old hinted that Bottas was a lot slower than Lewis Hamilton in comparison to the on-track battle between himself and teammate Daniel Ricciardo

"Especially if you have a team-mate next to you who is not so fast. If your team-mate always drives so far behind, it is very easy to collect points. Of course I had Daniel Ricciardo much closer to me. Then you really have to fight for your points.”

"There at Mercedes it was a completely different story. Hamilton, of course, fought against Ferrari, always had to stay sharp."

“But sometimes I sometimes think: the lesser your teammate is, the more relaxed you can drive yourself.”

"And then you also know that the team is fully geared towards you. That only makes you faster."

Verstappen had best second-half of the season, other than Hamilton, points wise helping him finish fourth in the championship, his best finish in the standings. Despite having fewer podiums than in 2016 he still felt that this was his best season yet.

“It was better than last year.”

“Last year was already better than the year before. It just keeps getting better. Not necessarily in terms of results, but then I look purely at feeling and speed.”

“Result does not always tell me everything. Last year, for example, I had fewer podium places than in 2016, but I did think that I was better.”

“Sometimes you do not just have to look at results. I do not just read it off.”