The surprising move was made public last week when Hamilton, who is 39 years old, utilized a provision in his new agreement and joined the oldest, most successful, and most glamorous team in the sport on a multi-year contract.
During a livery launch event for his Sauber-managed Stake F1 team in London on Monday evening, Bottas expressed his astonishment to Reuters.
“I never anticipated it,” he stated. “I had assumed he would stay at Mercedes, but that’s just how Formula 1 is. Unexpected things occur, and I believe it’s good for him because he has obviously made the decision and it represents a fresh, new beginning.”
“This move is significant in F1 and will undoubtedly lead to some activity in the drivers’ market,” added the driver, who has won ten races.
Hamilton will be joining Ferrari, a team that last secured a championship in 2008, alongside Charles Leclerc, who has a long-term contract.
Since Kimi Raikkonen was crowned their most recent Driver’s Champion in 2007, other multiple champions such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso have attempted and failed to secure F1 Titles at Ferrari.
Hamilton, who holds the record for the most wins in the sport with 103, is expected to integrate well into the team, which is now led by Frenchman Fred Vasseur, who worked with Hamilton during his junior career.
“I believe he will,” Bottas remarked. “He has a wealth of experience in the sport and has interacted with numerous individuals, so I don’t see any issues there.”
“I’m confident that it will be an exciting project for him to strive for the top with Ferrari. If anyone can do it, he can…”
“I believe that after a few races, he will settle in nicely and continue from there,” the former Mercedes driver insisted.
Bottas’ own future is uncertain as he enters his 12th season in the sport at the age of 34. He was Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, a period that coincided with the team’s dominance.
The Finn has been increasingly occupied with his endeavors outside of the sport, engaging in cycling and promoting his wine, coffee, and personal brand of gin.
“For a long time, I have had various projects, and now I have found the perfect setup where I can pursue all of my passions,” he explained.
“Eventually, which I hope will not be for many, many years, these things will undoubtedly keep me occupied after F1, along with always driving something else, no doubt.”
“I was previously restricted from engaging in anything alcohol-related, but now I can do so with my current contract. I was somewhat limited before,” Bottas concluded. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
