Speaking to ViaPlay, the two-time world champion highlighted the role 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valtteri Bottas played alongside teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as an example. 

B𝕴ottas was Hamilton’s Merce༒des teammate for five seasons between 2017 and 2021 but was never able to mount a title challenge or pose a serious threat to the Briton. 

Instead, the Finn often found himself consigned to a supporting role, aiding Hamilton in his title fights against Ferrari’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sebastian Vettel in 2017 and 2018, and doing similar d꧑uring Hamilton’s titanic battle agai𒊎nst Verstappen in 2021. 

Only in 2019 and 2020 - when Mercedes held a competitive advantage over the rest of the field - did Bottas go up against Hamilton in a head-to-head fight, which he lost in convඣincing fashion on both occasions. 

“Every year he starts fresh, but after a few races you realise it’s not going to happen again ♈and you accept your role😼,” Verstappen said. 

“He [B🧸ottas] still finished꧒ on podiums, he won a few races and took pole positions.

“You just have to accept that the dr𝔉iver next to you is just a bit better. That’s fine, that can happen.

“It’s important that he accepted it. Some drive🎃rs can’t🌜 do that and then it goes completely wrong.

“Then they don’t survive for very loꦡng. I’m not going to name names, but you have to accept your role. You can’t live in a fairytale world.”

A coded message to Perez? 

Are Verstappen’s comments a thinly-veiled message aimed at Red Bull teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez? 

The pair were at the centre of a team orders row in Brazil after Verstappen 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:refused Red Bull’s request to allow Perez to pass him in the closing stages of the Interlagos race in order to aid the Mexican’s bid to take second-place in the168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: drivers’ standings. 

It was reported that Verstappen’s reluctance to help Perez out was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:retaliation for Perez costi♒ng him pole positไion - and potentially the win - by crashing in qualifyin🍰g in Monaco earlier this year. 

Speaking at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen insisted he 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:would not apologise to Perez for their bust-up. 

“It’s not about saying sorry,” Verstappen said to Sky. “It’s ⛦more about what happened this year. Something happened. 

“We didn’t communicate well enough to ⛄each other and to the team. I gave my stance in Me🎃xico about it. 

“We should have cleared it way ওsooner, then we wouldn’t have had that issue in Brazil. Like ⛄a relationship, communication is key. You always say communication is key in a relationship, and this is like a relationship.”

Red Bull conceded they “made some mistakes” in a statement released in the aftermath of the Brazil fallout that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:defended Verstappen’s actions.