Bottas sixth in qualifying: “I didn’t do a good job”

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) has seen better days. The Finn made it through the qualifying session in Montreal, Saturday June 8. While his teammate Lewis Hamilton fought for pole position, the 2011 GP3 Series champion only finished sixth fastest, more than six tenths behind the world champion. 

Worse still, he had recorded a time slower than that of Pierre Gasly (Red Bull, 5th) and especially Daniel Ricciardo (Renault, 4th)! So, what are the explanations given by the person concerned? “I made a mistake in my first attempt in Q3. I slipped, and luckily I didn't hit the wall, but This put me in an uncomfortable position for my second run. »

“Valtteri’s got his lucky underpants on”#CanadianGP #F1 (sound) pic.twitter.com/whzCJyF0OO

— Formula 1 (@F1) 8th June 2019

Things did not improve after that. “ My second flying lap was erratic. I had several wheel locks, I didn’t do a good job on the turns. I'm not very proud of this trick, but mistakes happen, He explains. I must learn from this day, move on and come back stronger tomorrow (Sunday). »

Often qualified as the No. 2 driver in 2018, will Valtteri Bottas get back on track and not let himself be overwhelmed by these erratic tests? The former pilot Williams remain optimistic. “The feel of the car was good and the long-run pace looked promising during Friday free practice. I am sure that opportunities will present themselves to me in the race.

Overtaking on this track is possible. We've seen some great races in the past in Montreal, so I'm going to go all out. » Its technical director, James Allison, recalls the Finn's strategy, which could pay off. 

“He will leave with medium tires (white flanks. Editor’s note), while cars in front of him will have different tires (the tender ones for Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly. Editor’s note), so he should be well placed to lead an ideal race pace. »