Nico Rosberg mocks Lewis Hamilton's 'best teammate' comment in Valtteri Bottas tribute

Lewis Hamilton wrote a great tribute to soon-to-be former teammate Valtteri Bottas after it was announced that he will leave the Mercedes Formula 1 team at the end of the 2021 season. But one of the Briton's former teammates was not too pleased about the compliments paid to Bottas.

"He has been the best teammate I've had the pleasure of working with. Your speed and resilience has been impressive but where you truly stand out to me is the human being you are. You are greater than you know and I know there's a bright future ahead for you," Hamilton wrote alongside a picture of him and Bottas.

Nico Rosberg, who partnered Hamilton at the Silver Arrows team for four seasons between 2013 and 2016, was not very pleased after the seven-time F1 world champion labelled Bottas his "best" ever teammate. Hamilton's former best friend in the sport gave his explanation as to why the British driver chose the Finn over other teammates that include him and other world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

"Bottas was super useful, he never beat Lewis, they were chill. That's why, that's why, Lewis says Bottas was his favourite teammate of all time. I wanted to write under his Instagram post 'what about me?'" Rosberg said while speaking during an event.

The German driver, who retired from F1 after winning the 2016 F1 world championship, was clearly in a jovial mood. Rosberg was cheekily asking the event organisers if there were any journalists around that heard him take a swipe at his former teammate and the Alfa Romeo bound Bottas.

Hamilton will now be joined by George Russell with the Mercedes junior driver finally poised to get a competitive car after spending the last three seasons with Williams F1. The reigning Drivers' and Constructors' champions confirmed the 23-year-old's arrival on Tuesday, but the length of his contract with the team remains unclear at the moment.

"A huge thank you to Williams, to Mercedes and to everyone who has supported me in getting to where I am today," Russell said after being confirmed as the new Mercedes drier for 2022.