Wolff dismisses Bottas' "not quite normal" Bahrain strategy claim
Wolff dismisses Bottas' "not quite normal" Bahrain strategy claim
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has refuted claims by Valtteri Bottas that the team's Bahrain Grand Prix strategy was "defensive" and "not quite normal".
Bottas was clearly annoyed post-race after finishing third behind race-winning team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, believing more should have been done to thrust him into the fight for the win.
The Finn's challenge was effectively undone, however, by his second pit-stop after 30 laps due to a problem with the removal of the front-right tyre that cost him 10.9secs.
Despite that, Bottas claimed that on strategy Mercedes "went defensive instead of attacking, which I’m quite surprised by and it’s not quite normal" and that "there was more to get" from the race.
Wolff, though, has dismissed such suggestions, pointing to the opening laps, in particular, that led to his driver's downfall. He said: “I think there wasn’t any strategy on the table because we tried to undercut.
"Also, with Valtteri, what changed the race for him, or made his race not bring the outcome he would have wished for, was that he lost positions at the start of the race and couldn’t recover the gap to the two guys in front.
“Then the pit stop that was there to undercut Max, I think we would probably have been successful but we had a problem with the right-front wheel gun.
"Then I don’t know what other strategy we could have run. The one-stop was clearly not possible. The medium wouldn’t have made it to the end.
"The hard in the middle stint was running out of performance and there was no other option on the table.
"But I totally understand the frustration in the car when you have limited information and say I think we could have done something else.”
Mercedes did at least pit Bottas in the closing stages, allowing him to claim an extra point for the fastest lap.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 News Today: Hamilton and Verstappen rivalry takes SHOCK twist as F1 team 'set to announce' mega signing
- 1 hour ago
Horner Red Bull saga in new 'evidence' update as big F1 star left 'very angry' - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Cocky sporting legend CHALLENGES Hamilton in stunning claim
- Yesterday 22:57
Ricciardo boss in 'super disappointing' claim amid RB stars' performance
- Yesterday 21:57
F1 team 'set to announce MEGA signing' in major Red Bull challenge
- Yesterday 20:57
Horner in BRUTAL Wolff swipe amid Verstappen to Mercedes links
- Yesterday 19:57
Related news
Hamilton car camera captures Verstappen's TRUE feelings toward F1 rival
Marko reveals Vettel requirements for stunning F1 comeback
Fierce Hamilton F1 rival raises timing issue for Ferrari move
Wolff admits CHANGE of plan over Hamilton F1 replacement
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860