“As a Team we have slept in today.” So the clear conclusion of Valtteri Bottas after the Grand Prix to the 70-year-old formula 1 anniversary in Silverstone. The Finn started from Pole Position, but was ousted in a Mature detective on the third place.
“The course is very frustrating. I’m started from the Pole and in third came”, the Finn after the fifth race of the season frustrated. Max Verstappen has him caught off guard with his alternative strategy, Mercedes had no answer.
“As a Team we have today, slept a little, as Max was able to go past us. My strategy was not optimal.” Bottas is started as well as Hamilton on the used Medium tyres (C3), which was used in the previous week, still as Soft.
Bottas: “The tyres fell apart at the end”
Verstappen could qualify as the only driver in Q2 on Saturday on the hard tyres (C2), this tyre was used last Sunday as a Medium. The Dutchman got off to a good first Stint and was able to put the Mercedes quickly under pressure.
Bottas turned in round 13 as the first riders in the top group in the Box and put between Medium and Hard. Hamilton followed a lap later. The Red Bull was able to stay on the harder tyre, however, much longer on the track, his Stint lasted 13 rounds longer than those of the Finns.
Also, could Verstappen improve his Pace towards the end of the first stint, always more, as a result, a pit opened stop to Bottas window to the rear. The Finn had struck off in round 26, as Verstappen to a stop, already 20 seconds behind the Red Bull.
At the Pit lane exit, it was stopped very close between the two – Red Bull the low countries in the long-3.2 seconds seeds. Thus, Bottas was again in the lead, but just a few corners later overtook Verstappen and once again seized the top of.
In the round of 32 both pilots eventually came again to the Box: Verstappen to put a curves Medium-Stint again on Hard, Bottas moved again spurt on the hard tyre for the circuit. Both pit crews worked without error, so that the Red Bull was back in front of the Mercedes on the track.
“I tried to see if a Chance arises, to with Max to keep up. But as soon as I started to push a little, the tyres towards the end apart,” says Bottas. He complained of Blistering. “It seems that Red Bull had no problems, since you clearly had an advantage today.”
Rosberg: “The dogged a Mercedes today,”
After the second stop, Bottas lost enormous ground to the Red Bull – a total of almost 20 seconds in the last 20 laps. “The tires just overheated, so you’ve cooked practically. Thus, holes are formed in the tread and lose Grip.”
Once bubbles have formed, you will lose Grip in the curves, so Bottas. “As a result, you’ll just get slower and slower and slower.” Bottas finished the race, even by his own team-mates obsolete on the third rank with 19,231 seconds behind Verstappen. In the championship of the Red Bull high flyers (77:73) overtook him.
“I believe that Mercedes has already a little messed up,” analyzes Nico Rosberg in the case of ‘RTL’. He agrees to Bottas: “After the first Stint of the Max is driven in the pit-stop window that allows you to. As the slept, said the Bottas too.”
The world champion of the year 2016, and believes that Mercedes has not delivered on the second Silverstone-weekend “strategy moderate” for the best performance. Because Verstappen had forced through his quick first Stint Mercedes to drive as well faster. “The Max has made as a driver myself great in the stage.”
This article was written by Maria Reyer
*The article “Bottas in Silverstone only the third: “As a Team, we have slept there”” will be released by Motorsport-Total.com. Contact with the executives here.
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