Valtteri Bottas has replied to what might be seen as the opening salvo in a new psychological battle between Mercedes' F1 drivers.

Claims by Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony, that the triple world champion is a "career killer" for his teammates was widely interpreted as a shot at Bottas.

On a one-year contract, Bottas has been signed by Mercedes to replace the now-retired Nico Rosberg, who shared a famously strained relationship with Hamilton dating back to 2013.

When asked about the "career-killer" comment by Finnish broadcaster MTV, Bottas replied: "Well, I wouldn't want to be my teammate, either.

"Let's wait and see. The season starts soon, so we'll see how it goes," the 27-year-old said with a smile.

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