Valtteri Bottas has been swift to dismiss recent criticisms aimed at him in response to his two on-track skirmishes with fellow Finn, Kimi Raikkonen.
Despite bursting into the spotlight in 2014, Bottas’ 2015 campaign has stuttered, with his third-place finish in Mexico a fortnight ago marking only his second podium appearance of the year.
A podium appearance which could have easily been snatched by his compatriot Kimi Raikkonen who, following another dismal Saturday, was elevating himself back into podium contention before a collision with Bottas at Turn Five forced him into retirement.
The clash, deemed a racing incident by the stewards, was elevated in intrigue as it followed the pair’s skirmish in Russia. On that occasion, it was Bottas who was denied a top three finish and Raikkonen who faced the wrath of the stewards.
As demonstrated earlier this season in a global fan survey, Raikkonen is the sport’s most popular competitor. His army of fans have been critical of Valtteri in light of the duo’s most recent collision, yet these opinions have been shrugged off by the Williams man.
In an interview reported by Autosport, the Finn admitted that “Obviously it is Kimi bias in Finland because he is a world champion and he has loads more fans.
“But that is fine for me, that’s how it is. I haven’t checked any comments or news.”
On a more positive note, he added, “I also have a lot of support and I’m thankful for that.”
With Valtteri Bottas having been widely tipped to replace Raikkonen at Ferrari from the closing stages of 2014 through until the 2007 Champion was resigned by the Scuderia, F1’s Finnish contingent have been inseparable in media circles for some time.
Having shared headlines for months, the two will now surely hope to keep their distance on track and avoid any more controversial clashes.
