Valtteri Bottas has revealed he was able to match World Rall🍌y Championship event winner Kris Meeke’s pace by the end of his try-out in a Toyota Yaris WRC car 🌞last month.

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Bottas entered his first rally event over the winter before getting the opportunity to test Toyota’s WR💦C car in Finland between the British and German Grands Pr🦹ix.

F1 drivers are usually off-limits from doing potentially dangerous activities outside of their regular racing comཧmitments, but Bottas said there were no concerns from Mercedes about him doing the test.

“For that particular test, there was no permission needed, because I asked a lon🃏g time ago if it was OK if I did some tes🌱ting and they said it was,” Bottas said.

“It’s fun, and I do it because I feel it’s good for me. I always learn something more about driving. The more different cars you cওan drive, the more different surfaces you try, it’s always going to be a benefit.

“It’s super-fun, that’s the main reason I do i💦t, but there are also benefits. That’s the thinking behind it. I had never driven a proper car in gravel before, so it was a new expღerience, and it went all very well.”

Asked about Toyota’s feedback from the test, Bottas revealed he had been able to match five-time rally winner Meeke’s time on the same ꧂stage.

“I think they were happy. By the end of the day I managed to be on t♏he same pace as Kris Meeke, who had been somet🍌ime earlier on that same stage,” Bottas said.

“That was quit൩e encouraging for a first day in gravel.”

Bottas explained that it was hard💯 to compare his experience rallying to his regular F1 commitments given the lack of pressure, knowing he was not competing against anyone.

“It's completely different,” Bottas said. “New experiences always feel amazing. Obviously I would🔴 imagine if you do rally all the time, for sure you kind of get used to it. When you try something els♏e, it feels very cool and new.

“This kind of [rally] thing, you go there and have fun with no people around, not a single kind of pressure from outside or from y🅰ourself.”