Valtteri Bottas: “It’s a big disappointment”

« My best chance will come at the start ". These are the words of Valtteri Bottas this Saturday after the qualifying session in which he set the second fastest time. This Sunday, the story was quite different.

When the lights go out, the pilot Mercedes got off to a bad start and quickly got on the defensive. In the end, he lost two places at turn number 1 to Max Verstappen et Lance stroll. Falling back to 4th place, the outcome was very different to that imagined before the start.

« The start was the key for me but it was not good. I lost a few positions and had to push a lot on the first set of tires to come back.

During the second stint I was behind Max. On this track it is very difficult and risky to overtake. So I stayed behind him. Lewis made a very good start, I couldn't follow him and I got overtaken. It's a big disappointment ».

This third place moves him a little further away from Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings (95 against 89 points) but above all from the leader Lewis Hamilton alone in the lead with 132 units.

Discover the full report and analysis of the Spanish Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondent in Catalonia, in issue 2274 of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow evening in digital version and from this Wednesday on newsstands.