Valtteri Bottas has explained why he chose not to use the slipstream from his team mate in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver was beaten to pole position by Lewis Hamilton by less than seven-hundredths of a second. He had the choice of whether to run in Hamilton’s slipstream for his final run and decided not to, despite many drivers preferring to use the ‘tow’ of other cars to improve their speed on the straights.“It was a pretty close gap,” said Bottas after qualifying. “I was expecting it always to be close and I’ve been feeling fast this weekend so obviously a bit disappointed to be second instead of first.”
“Ultimately it came to the choice if I’m running first or second. I took the first because from our analysis it shouldn’t be much of a difference or maybe even better to be first so you can really focus on the clean lap and not to have any messy out-laps.”
However Bottas admitted his quickest lap time in qualifying, during Q2, came with the help of a tow.
“I just experienced once in qualifying a tow, at the end of Q2, and actually it didn’t feel too bad and that’s when I had the quickest time.
“Otherwise, just cutting the wind at the front, in the corners I was fast. It’s impossible to say without seeing the data which one was better.”
Hamilton said it wasn’t clear to Mercedes whether having a tow or not was the best approach to qualifying for them.
“Valtteri chose to go first this weekend,” he said. “It was very, very close between having clean air and being in the tow.
“I can’t really tell you which one’s best. Some people say being in a tow’s best but you lose out in the middle and the last sector.”
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Kribana (@krichelle)
5th September 2020, 15:50
Personally, unless it’s half a second the gain of a tow or even more, I would prefer to be in front and have clear air in a qualifying lap. I want no distractions in front of me and no yellow flags to wreck my lap. I’d rather get a clean lap than having risk my lap getting ruined by something out of the blue.
Zann (@zann)
5th September 2020, 16:06
yes me too @krichelle. Without trying for a tow they can have the tyres and brakes optimised and generally less risk as you say. And both Mercedes proved it really.
Andrew (@andrewsf1)
5th September 2020, 15:53
A championship is worthless if you have by far the fastest car and you’re teammate is obviously banned from challenging you
Zann (@zann)
5th September 2020, 16:04
An opinion is worthless if it obviously ignores evidence, doncha think?
Mark Saunders (@mcs1)
5th September 2020, 16:19
Opinions like yours are worthless when you know F1 is a team sport and the Mercedes Team, their engineers and drivers, have developed a car that the other teams praise. Bias and jealousy are poor characteristics to take on throughout life.
ian dearing
5th September 2020, 16:21
What is it like in your reality? Meanwhile back in the real world….
A M (@amam)
5th September 2020, 17:01
They take it in turns regarding decisions re tow. Last week it was Hamilton’s turn to decide and he made the choice to forgo the tow.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/151752/hamilton-clean-air-key-in-qualifying-despite-tow-gain
This week it was Bottas’ turn and he decided to forgo the tow.
Joss (@racerjoss)
5th September 2020, 17:55
Thanks for the info @amam – this explains why Bottas also chose to forego the tow.
Ifeanyi
5th September 2020, 17:14
Not true. Bottas had the option to go first or second. He gave it his best.
Edvaldo
5th September 2020, 17:46
You could probably pick at least a hundred better occasions to throw this comment, but you couldn’t control yourself, could you?
Steve (@scbriml)
5th September 2020, 18:37
So why didn’t Mercedes tell Bottas to let Hamilton through in Austria to try and overcome his penalty? Last year Bottas won at Australia, Azerbaijan and America with Hamilton in second place at each of those races.
So, how exactly is Bottas obviously banned from challenging and beating Hamilton?
abananasplitz
5th September 2020, 19:13
“how exactly is Bottas obviously banned from challenging and beating Hamilton?”
“valteri its james”
“we have one push yes? – yes but you are not allowed to use it vs your teammate”
do we need to add more?
“allowed to race” what a joke.
A M (@amam)
5th September 2020, 19:19
So what you are saying is that Bottas should be given the advantage of fighting with a more powerful engine mode, while Hamilton is handicapped with a less powerful engine mode?
abananasplitz
5th September 2020, 22:46
english not your native tongue? bc nowhere did i say that?
Edvaldo
5th September 2020, 19:50
So salty. As if Bottas would win the race because of that, or that Hamilton wouldn’t be allowed to use it as well.
abananasplitz
5th September 2020, 22:47
no salt here i lothe bottas as much as i do hamilton, but to claim they are allowed to race eachother equally is a joke.
Deane
5th September 2020, 23:46
So Hamilton was not allowed to use that push either, what is the big deal then?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
5th September 2020, 19:54
@andrewsf1 Not worthless, that said that fact just has to be reckoned. As long as Hamilton does not sign an extension the team will do whatever it can to please him to 105% rather than the usual 95%
stefano (@alfa145)
5th September 2020, 23:53
your*
RocketTankski
5th September 2020, 16:02
No Shake and bake?
Rott
5th September 2020, 16:25
Lewis dropped back and didn’t use Bottas’ slipstream anyways.
Another excuse from Bottas. He should be glad he’s not in a Ferrari or Redbull where no 2 drivers are nothing but mere mechanics in a car to support their no 1.