Lewis Hamilton rival Valtteri Bottas sent chilling warning about taking on Brit after joining Mercedes
Finnish driver Bottas has signed a one-year Merc deal
VALTTERI BOTTAS has been sent a chilling warning about his Formula One career as he prepares to go head to head with "killer" Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton's dad, Anthony, his son's sheer speed and determination to win makes him a formidable opponent.
Bottas has replaced Nico Rosberg at Mercedes after the German sensationally decided to retire just FIVE DAYS after winning the title.
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And Hamilton senior believes the Finn - who has signed a one-year deal with Merc - could be on the end of a hiding.
He said: "My own personal view is that anyone who goes up against Lewis really needs to have their career mapped out for them because it's a career killer.
"Lewis kills drivers. He gets under your skin, because he is fast like hell.
"And you can't figure out how he's developed the car, how he has got the speed, how he can take that corner, how he can take that lane and it screws with your head.
"That's the thing. You can't calculate it, you can't figure it out. He just has that feeling.
"And when the chips are down, that's when the best comes out of Lewis."
Anthony Hamilton says his son would PREFER to have Rosberg as his team-mate next season but says the 32-year-old is only focused on winning back his world crown.
He added to : "Lewis would much rather have Nico as his teammate because they have known each other since they were 13 and it spurs Lewis on.
"It was a good rivalry but Lewis only has one desire and ambition right now, which is to claim back the title if he can.
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"He's not thinking about Nico or Bottas. He's not thinking about anybody, just about himself and winning the championship again for the team.
Hamilton has spent the winter snowboarding alongside his training regime in preparation for the new season, which starts on March 26th.
And Hamilton senior says his son's approach to racing is what makes him different from the rest of the grid.
He said: "Lewis is a bit of a maverick, he's not a race driver, he's a superstar. Former team owener Flavio Briatore said that when Flavio was interviewed recently.
"He said Lewis is the best thing that has ever happened to motorsport because he's crossed all the boundaries.
"He doesn't just come along and be a race driver, he's a bit of a movie star, a music star.
"He's brought all of these people into the sport. What other driver has done that? What other driver is doing that? None of them.
"We need some personalities. It's entertainment. In Sir Stirling Moss's days, those guys were personalities."