Bottas to seek clarification over ‘wingman’ comment

While Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his resurgence in the Formula One title race, Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas heads into the summer break feeling a little let down.

Bottas has insisted this season, and last, that he is on an equal footing with Hamilton and disputed talk that he is effectively the team’s No 2 driver.

But following yesterday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, 28-year-old Bottas was described by the team’s head of motorsport Toto Wolff as a “sensational wingman” – after helping to defend Hamilton’s leading position as the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen pressured behind Bottas.

Hamilton won the race, while Bottas slipped from second to fifth late on after clipping the back of Vettel’s car and then bumping sides with the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo. Bottas was adjudged to have been at fault for the Ricciardo incident and handed a ten-second time penalty.

Wolff’s comment did not go down well with Bottas, who joined Mercedes last year after several seasons with the Williams team.

“First of all, ‘wingman’ hurts,” he said. “I don’t see any positives in this race for me. I wanted a better result.”

Last weekend, Bottas was ordered over team radio to “hold position” – in other words not to attack Hamilton – late in the German Grand Prix. Moments before that team call, Bottas nearly overtook Hamilton as they resumed racing following a safety car being deployed on the wet track after Vettel had crashed.

Bottas has already been asked several times if he is essentially a support driver, or ideal team-mate, to Hamilton.

Both Bottas and Wolff have insisted he is free to compete on equal terms. After Saturday’s qualifying session, Bottas said “we are free to fight, so I’m looking forward to [the race]”.

But he clearly seemed irked at being described as a wingman and said he would seek clarification.

“I think we need to speak after this race,” Bottas said. “For sure the team will decide at some point.”