At the Turkish GP, Hamilton won the title of World Championship for the seventh time, equaling Michael Schumacher. While the weekend proved to be a cause for another celebration for Hamilton, it was a difficult one for Valtteri Bottas. However, his never-ending efforts to get the podium stand in every race do not go unseen.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, is still firm on his stand to further move on with the same Mercedes team-partners ahead. Subsequently, for him, the present teammates are racing at a perfect pace. On the days when Hamilton lags behind, Bottas leads the race.
He explained, “I like Valtteri and Lewis. The combination works well. When Lewis has a bad day, then Valtteri pulls it off, then the other way around: Valtteri had a really bad day today and then Lewis wins the race.
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“I think as a combination, it really works well.”
Bottas had the skills and strategies to keep the seventh World Championship from being awarded to Hamilton. However, that day was just not in his favor. Furthermore, his car spun at a continuous rate throughout the race. The team boss exclaimed it to be one of Bottas’ worst defeat in his F1 career.
Wolff claimed, “I think he suffered from what many other drivers suffered out there, that simply, the tyres were not in the right temperature window.”
He continued, “And once you’re in that kind of spiral, it’s very difficult to set yourself back in a good position and I think, today, everything came together for him – the perfect storm.”
Currently, Bottas requires over 100 points to catch up on Hamilton. He is 27 points ahead of Max Verstappen, ranking third. The Finn will need to strive hard in the upcoming races to stand at par with Hamilton. He will have immense pressure to end the season with a better rank.
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The team boss clarified he would prefer the same duo to continue for the following races on the way. He is pleased with Bottas’ performances in numerous races. However, he wants the same co-ordination to continue and make the team dominate in the upcoming races too.
Wolff remarked, “I think if you have a dynamic between two drivers that is where the talking happens on track, I think you can have two alpha males [in the team].
“And Valtteri has shown some really good performances this year but then dropped away towards the end.
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The spectators and the entire Mercedes crewmates are vividly excited to witness the Finn’s performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.
Read More – Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix a Night Race in F1?