Lay off Monaco GP, insists Bottas

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has hit back at those looking to exact changes to the Monaco Grand Prix and that although the cars have changed and evolved over the years, but it is such an iconic circuit that the criticism has been unfair.

Fans and drivers alike were open in their disdain of last Sunday's race, which saw minimal overtaking and Daniel Ricciardo triumph despite losing 25% of his engine power a third of the way through the race.

Lewis Hamilton suggested that he would have 'fallen asleep' had he been watching the race at home, while Fernando Alonso branding the spectacle 'one of the most boring races ever'.

Bottas admitted that the topic is difficult to find a clear opinion on because of how the nature of the sport has changed in recent years, but added that he feels disappointed at such a historic circuit receiving such condemnation.

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He told Autoweek: "It’s a difficult one, there’s so much history with this track layout.

"It would be a shame to shame it, because it is so iconic. But on the other hand, with the current cars as they are, they’re getting quicker and bigger. Overtaking is getting more and more difficult.

"It’s a tricky one. I have mixed feelings about changing the track.”

Bottas added that the nature of Monaco - where overtaking has always traditionally been difficult - has been forgotten in these discussions and that he hopes this dull race will be an anomaly in the calendar.

He added: "I think this year was unlucky for the fans, that there was not that much happening.

"That's Monaco - sometimes a lot of things happen; sometimes nothing happens and you get a pretty uneventful race.

"The only negativity is the lack of overtaking. I could put pressure on the cars ahead. I had more pace than the cars in front of me and yet there was nothing I could do. Even with the pace difference overtaking was impossible.

"It’s on the limit but I still love it. I still love driving there."