Valtteri Bottas says that his first podium appearance of the season in the Canadian Grand Prix will be a ‘big boost’ for the Williams team.
The third place finish was Williams first podium of the season and Bottas’s first since the Mexican Grand Prix last year.
“We did need this, yeah. Definitely,” says Bottas. “And also for me it feels really good. So I’m really happy for us as a team. It’s always a big boost.”
Bottas made a one-stop strategy work to take the final step on the podium after rivals struggled with tyre degradation.
“It was a great strategy, says Bottas. “That was our ‘plan-A’ originally, so I’m glad we could execute it. And just the pitstops, again, they make just an incredible job.
“From the beginning of the race I really felt that we could pressure Kimi [Raikkonen] in front and also the Red Bulls. So it was a good feeling that we actually had race pace to fight for every position.”
Asked if the performance means that Williams had now joined the Ferrari, Red Bull battle behind Mercedes, Bottas remained cautious.
“It’s difficult to say,” Bottas explains. “It’s always going to depend a little bit on the track – how it suits us – I would say that this one gives us a lot of confidence for the next few races.
“We are a good team. We can do good results. So there’s no reason why we cannot be on the podium again this year if we keep pushing.”
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
13th June 2016, 0:36
I think Williams needs u Bot great job!!!!.Claire Williams getting queens birthday award for motorsport is A Joke!! A daddy’s girl with a PR background who is the team as a figure head..if she wasnt Frank’s kid she would working as a bank teller!!!
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
13th June 2016, 6:22
@nosehair Or you could have some respect, whatever…
RL
13th June 2016, 9:57
If she is doing what the team needs from her, she only deserves respect. Moreover I like her on the paddock, she’s hot everyday and she knows the environment
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
13th June 2016, 10:01
RL what does she do?
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
13th June 2016, 12:21
@nosehair. Willliams’ as a brand were in steep decline from the moment BMW left in 2005. They have not been competitive and have been forced down the pay driver route. The single largest change in their fortunes has been the switch to Mercedes power in 2014 which she was instrumental in. Without that Williams’ would be suffering the same fate as Sauber. Resurrecting one of the sport’s largest teams should be enough to justify it to you but also consider her impact as a woman. The sport suffers from a gender crisis at the moment and whilst women have done a great job in the sport behind the scenes for decades, drivers and team leadership has not been so prominent. Has Wolff, Jorda or Kaltenborn brought the sport much positive publicity? Claire Williams certainly has and we should be proud of her and the team.
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
13th June 2016, 14:23
RB all due respect to you because l dont know you, or where your misinformed sources come from…But what a load of rubbish!!! Claire did nothing in getting the Merc deal…you or l could of got the merc deal..they wanted to sell engines to f1 teams except RB!!! Claire is a unqualified Boss’s daughter and most likely carries her title for legal reasons linked to Franks Will..she is a mouth peice for the team and is not qualified in anything but a bit spin..she is not a speck on Monisha Kaltenborn who actually manages a team!!…the wheel men have contributed more to the team than Claire…she a british woman in a “laughable executive role”in F1 and is why she was “gifted” the queens honours. …also, spending millions on building the wrong size wind tunnel was the ‘Start’ of the demise of Williams, that coupled with poor team performance as well as (Ralph and Montys contracts) lead the failure to secure BMW agreement post 2005…..Frank had to sell his private jet and numberous other assets and it almost caused bankruptcy of Williams..this is fact go and research it..also, A Bernie deal was the main reason Frank did not go into receivership.
Mike (@mike)
13th June 2016, 21:42
@nosehair
A disgraceful comment.
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
14th June 2016, 1:23
@Mike you are entitled to your opinion of my comment and thats fine…..but Mike t the hard Realities are….if she wasn’t Franks daughter she would not be a Exec in Franks team or any other motorsport team and she has acheived nothing in F1 or Willians to earn the right to her position (or her award)….it is a ceral packet packet title that family owned companies give to offspring…..and it is also disrepectful to the other capable talented hard working people in F1 and more importantly the Williams team….where is is loads of paddock gossip anout it.
..Her award is a disgrace and casts a slur on the whole meaning and prestige of the Honours System, which really my whole point here……….l hold nothing against her as a person, she seems nice enough,,,but she should not be projected as one of the BRAINS and drive behind Williams with PR Spin… and clearly the advisory board of nominations@ Buckingham Palace knows nothing about F1…..her role in F1 not a whole lot different to Massa’s brother…a family member…
electrolite (@electrolite)
14th June 2016, 14:44
@nosehair Why are you so angry?
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
13th June 2016, 6:25
I don’t think Williams is that close to either Ferrari or Red Bull. These massive straights help them and flatter the car and drivers. Neither really impress me to the extent they should be in a top team. Bottas is more and more joining Perez and Hulkenberg as the drivers to have in the midfield, sadly for all three not more than that.
F1 in Figures (@f1infigures)
13th June 2016, 10:32
@xtwl Fuel consumption was critical yesterday, so the more fuel-efficient cars (Williams) performed better than the more fuel-inefficient cars (Red Bull and McHonda), but Bottas’s 3rd place was also down to good tire management. Pity for Massa, though.
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
13th June 2016, 8:15
@xtwl Repect for Claire? You cannot be serious, her title is joke in the paddock…Huge respect for Frank and PH considering they nearly went under in the early 2000s with the wind tunnel fiasco.. with Bernie’s help and selling planes and assets they have survive and kinda bounced back….then he gives Claire a fluffy title, she is there in name only trust me!!
72defender (@72defender)
13th June 2016, 10:33
@nosehair Your post seems a bit venomous. Had you applied for this job at one point?
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
13th June 2016, 10:59
I work in the industry yes..
Mike (@mike)
13th June 2016, 21:43
Definitely good to see Williams having success. And with Frank watching too, that was awesome.