Disappointment prevails at Williams at Silverstone

Williams created a surprise at the start of the Grand Prix at Silverstone when Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas took the lead of the race following the poor start of the Mercedes. The 2008 world vice-champion retained the advantage until the first stops.

Lewis Hamilton then took back the controls after having anticipated his tire change. The British single-seaters were then overtaken by Nico Rosberg et Sebastian Vettel with the arrival of rain where they lack performance.

“It’s a frustrating result because the race was fantastic,” to complain Felipe Massa. “I got off to a superb start and stayed in the fight with the Mercedes. I could have even had a chance to win if the weather hadn't deteriorated. It's unfortunate to have lost positions in the rain. I lost my last chance for a podium by staying one more lap on the track when the downpour arrived. This rain highlighted the car's weaknesses in the wet. »

Valtteri Bottas shares the regrets of his teammate Felipe Massa even if the Finn did not take the lead in the race. “This ordeal was really frustrating and at the same time very enjoyable. We both had a superb takeoff and faced the formidable Mercedes, but I found myself in great difficulty with the intermediate tires when the rain came. I had the right to face Felipe but I didn't want to make any mistakes.", said the Finn.

Discover the analysis of the British GP carried out by our special correspondents in the 2019 issue of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.