Bottas remains the favourite to take over from Raikkonen should Ferrari decide against taking up the option they have on the 35-year-old for next season.
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The Williams Martini Racing driver – who is now fourth in the overall standings – has long been considered the primary target for Ferrari to replace the increasingly out-of-favour Kimi Raikkonen.
It is rumoured the fabled Italian team is set to pay Williams millions to buy out his 2016 contract option, and speaking ahead of the Hungarian grand prix, Bottas also would not confirm if he will still be with the Grove based outfit next year.
“I remember the days when I was sitting in front of the TV at home and looking at Kimi’s onboard laps full of admiration”, Vettel said.
“I really enjoy working with the team, the team is really respecting me 100 per cent and I think enjoying the way I work with the team as well”.
“We will tell you when there is something to tell about – I don’t know where the rumours have come from”.
Vettel joined the team this year as Raikkonen’s team-mate and said it was a big deal to go up against a driver he had admired before he even arrived in F1. “In the end, it’s about Ferrari, it’s about the team, so I think that’s the most important thing for Kimi and myself. In the future, we will be cleverer”.
But Williams’ Bottas, of Finland, and his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa are strong candidates to earn podium places at the 4.381-kilometre Hungaroring track. “I don’t know where the rumours are coming from”.
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“If I have to bet on what’s going to happen in the second half of the season, then I believe we’ll reduce our gap to Mercedes and that we’ll do better than Williams”. Obviously I want to beat him, he wants to beat me, that’s normal competition, but the thing I appreciate a lot about Kimi is there is no bullshit – just to quote him! “The Malaysian Grand Prix was an incredible day, getting back to winning ways has given us a great push, and now I can’t wait to relive it again”.
