Bottas ignores team orders amid rumours he can be replaced mid-season
Valtteri Bottas ignored team orders to let team-mate Lewis Hamilton by during the Spanish Grand Prix. Team principal Toto Wolff didn’t make a big deal out of it and dismissed rumours the Finn can be replaced mid-season.
VALTT RI Bottas of Mercedes was once again a supporting actor in the Spanish Grand Prix while team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen battled for the win, as both drives continued their thrilling title race this season.
While the Silver Arrows team had much to celebrate after the race with Hamilton first and Bottas third, the Finn’s behaviour on the track was a big post-race talking point.
That’s because Bottas ignored team orders to let Hamilton by after the Briton did a pitstop for fresh tyres and was by far the fastest man in the field.
Bottas was told on radio that his team-mate was on a different strategy and he shouldn’t stand in the way. But Hamilton struggled behind the Finn for half a lap before pulling a regular overtake maneuver, losing over a second on Verstappen, who was still leading the pack.
“I definitely could have let him by earlier, but I was doing my own race as well,” Bottas told British broadcasters Sky Sports.
“It’s always calculating things. I was trying to get Charles Leclerc off the pit window so I could stop again and try to go for an extra point with the fastest lap ,” the Finn explained.
Hamilton said didn’t know Bottas had a message “so in my mind I was like we’re racing. Valtteri was completely fair.” But Bottas also pointed out that “I’m not here to let people by, I’m here to race, so that’s how it goes,” as he has in the past already publicly admitted he doesn’t like such instructions.
Team principal Toto Wolff said he was comfortable with how things unfolded, but acknowledged it may have been different had Hamilton not won the race.
“I can relate to Valtteri. He had a tough day again and you’re annoyed. If it would have lost us the race I would have been more critical,” he said, adding the matter will be discussing, but in a “very camaraderie-like way.”
Over the weekend, rumours emerged that Bottas might be replaced mid-season, with Williams driver George Russell the most likely choice.
“I know that I’m not going to be replaced in the middle of the season,” Bottas assured, and hinted on rivals Red Bull saying “there’s only one team that does that kind of thing in F1, and we are not them.”
Wolff also rejected the rumours “nless he gets flu and can’t drive, he’s going to be in that car. I see no reason to change.”
Bottas next has the chance for his first season win at the Monaco Grand Prix on May 23.