Lewis Hamilton has received his very own copy of Valterri Bottas’ viral Instagram post that raised thousands of pounds for charity. Bottas may have moved to Alfa Romeo this season, but his bond with Hamilton was still very much on show in their warm exchange in Monaco.
Earlier in May, Bottas posted the image on his Instagram, and it blew up among the F1 community. The Finnish driver reacted by selling copies for charity, later confirming he raised over €50,000 (£42,000) for charity within the first 24 hours.
At the time, Hamilton described it as ‘one of the best photos’ he had ever seen and admitted he was interested in snagging a copy of his own. “I would for charity, for sure,” Hamilton explained. “I didn’t know it was up for sale, but it’s one of the best photos I’ve seen.”
The seven-time world champion’s wish was answered ahead of Monaco Grand Prix weekend. In a video on his Twitter, Bottas visited his former Mercedes team-mate to hand-deliver a copy of the infamous photo.
JUST IN: Guenther Steiner claims ‘everybody’ in F1 paddock agrees about FIA row
He said: “I just wanted to come and give you something. I heard that you liked the picture, so I signed ‘To Lewis’, and it’s for you. So you can put it up in your apartment or at home or something. Just a small gift, you know?”
A smiley Hamilton looked delighted and couldn’t help but ask about the details behind the image. “Not that I don’t already have stuff to remember you by but this one… What were you doing? Where was this?” Hamilton asked.
He also made his gratitude clear and joked that Bottas would be receiving a similar gift the next time he is in Colorado, where the image was taken. “So good. I love it, man; thank you so much.” He added: “Next time I’m in Colorado, I’ll get my buns out and repeat the same image and then send you one.”
READ MORE: Perez told he is ‘replaceable’ and cannot copy Hamilton and Verstappen
With Mercedes struggling to match the pace of championship leaders Red Bull and Ferrari so far this season, Hamilton has unexpectedly been battling Bottas at the summit of the midfield. He has endured severe issues with ‘porpoising’ in a troublesome campaign, with new teammate George Russell out-qualifying him more than he would’ve liked.
Meanwhile, Bottas has exceeded all expectations since joining Alfa Romeo and has only boosted his stellar reputation from his Silver Arrows days. The pair could do battle again this weekend as the F1 calendar enters one of its most anticipated races.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
