You would call it lazy writing if we state an obvious fact like, “Formula 1 is a highly competitive sport” and we would agree. However, there are scenarios that make us reiterate this point thanks to the drivers and their antics. The drivers in question are Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. The Finnish driver has not come across an opportunity to battle with Verstappen after his move to Alfa Romeo. However, Valtteri Bottas rolled back the years during the 2023 Mexican GP.

The Alfa Romeo C43 found some pace on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. In fact, the Finn went fourth fastest during the second practice session. Toward the end of this practice session, however, is when Bottas rolled back the years and gave us proof of the sport’s competitiveness, which even made Verstappen chuckle.

What antic of Valtteri Bottas made Max Verstappen laugh during the 2023 Mexican GP FP2

This is the first time Bottas sparked laughter in Verstappen, but the circumstances of the Mexican GP FP2 were entirely different. During the practice session, Bottas’s competitive nature took over. The Finn, in his Alfa Romeo, decided to get into a little drag race with Verstappen toward the end of the session.

Perhaps with the obvious superiority of the Red Bull RB19 and the rare performance Bottas found in his C43, he wanted to get a little taste of competition. This is exactly why he made the free-roam practice session a little more competitive.

Bottas even opened his DRS during this friendly battle on the track. This is exactly what amused not only Verstappen but his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase (GP). As quoted by Crash.net, GP said, “He even used DRS, unbelievable.” To this, Verstappen simply laughed.

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Perhaps Bottas was having one last go at Verstappen before the racing action began. Or he was showcasing what’s to come. Either way, Bottas is not afraid to take on Verstappen as he has often. It’s the old Mercedes Vs Red Bull rivalry, after all. Something he ignited with his recent statement as well.

Valtteri Bottas puts Lewis Hamilton on top of the field despite a two-year dry spell

Being paired with a world champion is difficult, and Bottas faced those difficulties, but he embraced the challenge. Bottas spent five extremely successful years at Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton. He witnessed Hamilton’s greatness up close during his time at the Brackley-based outfit, which is exactly why he still holds the Brit in such high regard.

He proved that with his statement, comparing Hamilton to Verstappen on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

He claimed, “Lewis is the fastest teammate I’ve ever had and I think he’s still the fastest driver on the whole grid, ahead of Max [Verstappen] and Charles [Leclerc], for me he’s at the top. He’s very talented, but above all he works very hard, much harder than people think. Most likely he will be the last driver to leave the circuit.” [translated via Google Translate]

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton remains unwavering in his determination to halt Max Verstappen’s dominance, despite enduring significant neglect from the FIA

Many might not agree with Bottas. However, he is sticking by his ex-teammate despite the dry spell after being his closest ally for five long years.