Bottas to Drive Historic Ferrari as Coulthard Backs Verstappen Over Hamilton
Valtteri Bottas is set to pilot a historic 1985 Ferrari at a festival, while former driver David Coulthard has named Max Verstappen his pick over Lewis Hamilton in the ongoing debate over F1's best.
Valtteri Bottas will trade his Cadillac for a piece of F1 history, driving the iconic 1985 Ferrari 156/85 at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. This comes as former F1 driver David Coulthard weighed in on the sport's greats, declaring Max Verstappen his pick over Lewis Hamilton due to the Dutch driver's ongoing development versus the seven-time champion's career stage.
Why it matters:
Bottas's drive offers a nostalgic link between F1's turbocharged past and its hybrid present, while also highlighting the close ties between his new Cadillac team and Ferrari. Meanwhile, Coulthard's opinion adds a respected voice to the ongoing generational debate between Verstappen and Hamilton, a discussion that remains central to the sport's narrative, especially with Hamilton's upcoming move to Maranello.
The details:
- Bottas's Historic Ride: The Finnish driver will pilot the Ferrari 156/85, the very car that carried Michele Alboreto to a runner-up finish in the 1985 World Championship after a season-long battle with Alain Prost.
- A Piece of History: The 1985 season was defined by turbocharged engines, with Alboreto's title challenge ultimately derailed by persistent reliability issues late in the year.
- Cadillac-Ferrari Connection: Bottas isn't the only Cadillac driver linked to Ferrari. Teammate Sergio Perez recently tested a 2023 Ferrari at Imola, and the American outfit has signed Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who was part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
- Coulthard's Verdict: The former McLaren and Red Bull driver chose Verstappen, stating that the four-time champion is still in his "development phase." In contrast, Coulthard feels Hamilton is already "towards the end of his stellar career."
The big picture:
These stories highlight the different facets of the F1 ecosystem. On one hand, you have the celebration of the sport's rich history through events like the Adelaide festival, keeping fans engaged during the off-season. On the other, the constant analysis and debate surrounding the current grid's top talent. As the sport gears up for a new era with Hamilton at Ferrari and major regulations on the horizon for 2026, these conversations about past glories and present dominance will only intensify.