Bottas: “The Mercedes was not efficient enough”

After three events without a podium, notably marked by a tricky end of the race in Austin (United States), Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) took advantage of the mayhem at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix to take second place. The Finn was never really threatened throughout the 71 laps despite the return of Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) from the rear.

Valtteri Bottas, despite his 11th podium of the season, was pragmatic at the press conference. “The Mercedes was not efficient enough. We have not been able to keep pace with the Red Bull from Max (Verstappen, winner). It was impossible to fight for victory, it's a shame. The car's behavior was not bad, it simply lacked grip in curves. I slipped and that's precisely where the Red Bull took over us.", He explains.

Everything changed from the first hectometers, where Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Lewis Hamilton rubbed together. “I was placed in the second row of cars at the start of the first braking”, remembers Valtteri Bottas. “Lewis was somewhat ahead, he managed to preserve his advantage over me. It was at the second corner that things got complicated, with it seems to me Max and Sebastian side by side. I decided to favor the exit of turns 3 and 4 before the straight, I veered towards the inside, it was worth it. I then noticed bits of carbon in the air but it all happened so quickly. »

Third at the end of a race punctuated by a single neutralization using the virtual safety car, Valtteri Bottas experienced a solitary ordeal. “There was no safety car to put us back behind Max or to give us an opportunity. Not much happened for me. It was necessary to preserve the mechanics, the brakes and the engine assembly. But even with full power, we couldn't have competed with Max. »