Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Sochi Autodrom, 2019

Bottas blames himself for points gap to Hamilton

2019 Japanese Grand Prix

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Valtteri Bottas says Lewis Hamilton’s consistency is the reason he’s so much further ahead in the drivers’ championship.

Hamilton leads Bottas by 73 points with 130 available over the remaining races. Bottas said he won’t give up his pursuit of the championship but admitted he will need a lot of luck to win it.

“I haven’t thought, in a way, ‘that’s it’. I won’t think like that even though I know the facts and we need to be very lucky as well to still be in the fight for the title. But obviously it’s not done yet.

“I can for sure blame myself as well for being that far in the points, in this situation, because Lewis has been better so far more consistently. That’s how it is.

“Now in this situation in I just really [focus] on one weekend, on each, and the closer I get to the end we’ll find out what happens with the points and where I’ll finish. But at least it’s going better than last year at this point.”

Although Bottas believes he’s raised his level against Hamilton compared to last year, he says there’s been little change since the start of the season.

“I would say it’s been pretty similar if I look at any averages in terms of quali to race from beginning of the year to this date. That has been pretty consistent.

“But a step from last year, which is always what I like to see. But obviously I want to get closer and really working on those details to make it happen.”

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31 comments on “Bottas blames himself for points gap to Hamilton”

  1. Consistency is the key, as is seizing the opportunities when they come. Looking back at the season, since the German GP anyone wanting to beat Hamilton in the championship should have taken the initiative and scored a few wins. Instead, Bottas has a retirement, an eight place, and a few podiums. If you’re against someone as fast as Lewis Hamilton, it requires something quite special to beat him over a season (and “luck” if you believe in that).

    1. He needs a bit more to get within luck window. If he was say 26 points behind he would be fairly within lucky possibilities.

  2. Who is he kidding? As long as he obeys teamorders sacrificing his own race he will never be a serious title contender. Man up, be ruthless, tell James to stick it up and see what happens

    1. see what happens

      A statement from Toto that Ocon will be in a Merc race seat?

      1. Sure, about 2 months ago I would have agreed with you. But Ocon seems to be out of the Merc for at least 2 years. If he does not emancipate himself now he’s bound to be the nr 2 driver of his generation.

        1. They can easily ask Russell since Ocon has contract with Renault till end of 2021.

          1. There’s no benchmark regarding Russell yet. So that would be a huge gamble.

    2. Yea, that’ll work, that’s all that’s stopping him beating Hamilton. But when he does what you say, will Hamilton still have to give up first choice of pit stop when he is leading; usually to prevent Bottas being undercut by the opposition, as Ham has done this numerous times in the past to help Bottas out?

    3. @nasiboring so one call where he had already benefitted from strategy which was later rectified would have won him the champuinship? Bore off.

      1. Never said anything about a specific stragy. What I believe is that there is a discrepancy regarding what he says here and how he behaves on track.

  3. As Confucius once said ” Better to be a Wingman at Mercedes than a lead driver at Williams “

    1. As Yoda said “Do or do not. There is no try”

    2. He’s not a wingman though. He’s simply slower on average.

      Besides, if Bottas is in the lead, they give him the same preferential treatment as they do with Hamilton when Hamilton is in the lead. So he can indeed only blame himself that he wasn’t in front of Hamilton more often.

  4. Sad, but true…

  5. Bottas 2.0 – More like ‘Barrichello Returns’

  6. I hate to say it but Bottas was obviously hired by Mercedes to be a number two driver to Hamilton. Its painfully obvious to everyone with eyeballs in their skull that this guy is there to help Lewis out and aid Mercedes in the constructor’s championship. Importantly, I believe Bottas knows that aswell.
    Being told in Singapore to slow down by Mercedes, as to not impede Hamilton’s progress took the cake. I can only imagine Fernando Alonso’s reaction on being given the same radio message in those circumstances, or even the less rated Nico Rosberg. The fallout post race would have been nuclear, and every media outlet would have been running the story. With Bottas, it was handled with a quiet resignation. He knew the score, he didn’t like it, he questioned it, but it was no surprise.
    I often wonder how Lewis would react if Leclerc or Verstappen were his team mate? I think as fans, we all know the answer to that question. So does Mercedes Benz and Toto Wolf.

    1. Yup you are right. No team mate in the history of F1 has ever been asked to back up the pack, so the teammate in front can go long.
      You definitely wouldn’t have Seb holding up Ham so Leclerc could get a bigger gap for example. Not going to happen. Can you imagine Seb trying that in Spa for example. Laughable.

      1. A no.2 in denial is worse than a no.2 on contract
        Not saying he isn’t allowed to win but he’s a No.2 on talent
        As Wolff said “A Wingman”

    2. I don’t think he is “hired” to be a No2. I think he has every opportunity to take the fight to Lewis but he can never maintain a challenge past the 5th or 6th race of the season. That probably suits Merc and Lewis but I think it’s wrong to say BOT is only a No 2 and is only there to support Lewis. BOT makes himself No2 by not bringing the fight to Lewis.

      1. Joe Pineapples
        12th October 2019, 18:48

        Exactly

  7. To be honest I think Bottas of this year has been closer to Hamilton. On good days he’s been faster, stronger in overtaking and a great defender – but he’s still had too many weekends where he just didn’t look like he turned up and was completely outclassed by not just Hamilton, but by everyone else. If he could tap that form a bit more regularly, a bit more consistently, I think he probably could have taken this title.

    This was probably his best shot at the title, to be honest. Not been helped by a lot of ‘Valtteri, it’s James’, and he’s WAY too accomodating for his team-mate when we all know his team-mate wouldn’t be for him. People say he’s Barrichello mark 2 but even Barrichello had some fight in him. Bottas doesn’t seem to have any.

    1. Lewis does and has, help out BOT when the situation arises. It’s just NOT us rarely in a position for Lewis to assist him.

      1. Some great grammar there…damn predicted text. “…its just BOT is rarely in a position…”

    2. when we all know his team-mate wouldn’t be for him

      Give it a rest Hamilton has proved otherwise plenty.

  8. Watch and learn from a real champ Bottas coz you will never be one if you aren’t consistent!

  9. Bottas is a nice guy, too nice of a guy. You are either ruthless and selfish or placid and nice. In F1, how many champions have been placid a nice? Damon Hill maybe, that’s about it, possibly Hakkinen. They are mostly ruthless, it goes with the territory.

    1. Bottas can be ruthless and selfish all he wants, but how is that going to get him ahead of Hamilton? The thing he really needs to be is “more consistently faster”.

    2. Button immediately springs to mind.

  10. If you’re not going to be ruthless you’ve got to at least have that extra speed, grip etc
    Even Hakkinen had some fight in him
    Even Barichello and he was under contract as a no.2

    1. I don’t think so, I think they’re just hired and if they prove themselves better than the number 1 they will be number 1, see ricciardo & leclerc vs vettel!

  11. Its all on Bottas and I say it as a fan of his. He needs to do what rosberg did and find some anger in him or whatever to give him the push he needs

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