May 18 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has played down talk of an impending switch to Ferrari, by insisting driving for other teams in F1 is also attractive.
The impressive Finn is increasingly linked with the fabled Italian outfit, who have already warned existing driver Kimi Raikkonen that he will only race in 2016 if he performs this year.
Bottas and his managers, however, have moved to cool the speculation, and now the 25-year-old insists there are other teams also worth driving for in F1.
“Ferrari is a mythical brand with a special attractiveness,” he is quoted by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, “and its red colour has become part of the legend of formula one.
“However, in the world championship there are other iconic brands, like Mercedes and Williams,” said Bottas.
It is interesting that Bottas mentioned Mercedes, as that team is headed by one of his managers, Toto Wolff.
But he also named Williams, the once-great and resurgent British team that brought him into formula one and turned Bottas into one of the hottest properties on the grid at present.
“Mercedes is still ahead,” said Bottas, “but the gap is smaller now. Ferrari is closer to them but even Williams has room for improvement.”