Bott🉐as spent five years along✃side Hamilton before moving to Alfa Romeo for 2022.

During their time together, Mercedes remained undefeated in the constructors’ champꦇionship despite titanic duels with Ferrari and Red Bull over the 💫years.

Unlike his pre𝓰decessor, N🔥ico Rosberg, Bottas was unable to maintain a credible title challenge against Hamilton.

Often, the Finn would start the season strongly bꦡefore fading as Hamilton tended to grow stronger.

Speaking on the latest episode of F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Bottas was asked out of all of his teammates, who was the faste🌱st.

He replied: “L🌊ewis. I think he is still the quickest driver on the grid.” 

The interviewer then asked: “Quickeꩲr than Max [Verstappen]? Quicker than Charles [Leclerc]?”

He added: “Yeah, yeah. To me he’s the fastest".

Bott🦩as expanded on what made Hamilton so formidable during their stint together,🦋 describing the seven-time world champion as “annoyingly talented”.

“Well first🍬 of all, ꦿannoyingly talented,” he explained. “On top of that, works hard. Works way harder than people actually think like outside the race weekend and in the race weekends. Quite often the last person to leave from the paddock of the drivers. It’s just that combination. 

“He’s got big drive inside him to always deliver, to do well and his average baseline performance is so good that he's really consistent as well. Makes him hard to beat. When I could beat him it was for me a good day 🅘but on averageꦯ I never quite managed to.”