Valtteri Bottas has jumped to the defence of Lance Stroll, the man who everyone thought would be the Finn's 2017 teammate. Stroll was announced as a Williams driver in 2016, partnering Bottas, but that all changed when Bottas left to join Mercedes.
Stroll has struggled so far this season, failing to score points and match the pace of experienced teammate Felipe Massa. Bottas has defended Stroll, saying his critics need to give him some time to find his feet.
"It's never easy for a driver to come into F1, and in his case, it's even worse. He is only 18 years old and the cars are much more efficient. Let's say he did not choose the right year to make his debut."
"It's never easy for a rookie to compete with the world's top drivers who have a lot of experience. So you have to give him time and have patience before making a judgment about him," the former Williams driver added
However, Bottas thinks Stroll is with the right team to support his push to get up to speed in F1: "I know the environment well at Williams," said the 27-year-old. "He is well supervised and the managers there are used to facilitating the work of young drivers. I've been there.".
Fergal Walsh
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Good to see fellow drivers backing him up. Some very disgusting critics out there