
Bottas 'proved he's a winner' in Russia
Bottas 'proved he's a winner' in Russia

Toto Wolff says Valtteri Bottas proved himself as a race-winning driver, despite Mercedes' team orders denying the Finn a first grand prix victory of the season in Russia. Bottas beat Lewis Hamilton to pole in Sochi and kept hold of his lead early on, only to be ordered aside to help his team-mate's title bid.
As a result of Hamilton's assisted win in Russia, he is now 50 points clear of Sebastian Vettel, with just five races remaining.
Bottas said he was "confused" about the order, but accepted that Mercedes had made the best decision for the team as a whole by sacrificing him.
Wolff backed up Bottas' claim that he was "the winner of this weekend", despite climbing onto the second step of the podium after the chequered flag fell.
The Silver Arrows' chief said: "The true strength of a team reveals itself in what individuals are prepared to sacrifice for the group.
"Valtteri was willing to sacrifice his win in Sochi to help protect our 1-2 and extend our lead in both championships - and he said he'd be prepared to do the same again tomorrow. That tells you everything you need to know about the quality and integrity of his character.
"Valtteri proved in Sochi that he is a race-winning Grand Prix driver: he put it on pole, controlled the race and had the pace to win. And he also showed that he is a great team player when we need him to be in the final stages of the season.
"It wasn't an easy call to make even though it was the right one for the points situation.
"I think every one of us was facing this struggle between our head and our heart on Sunday, but there is no hard-and-fast rule or matrix you can apply.
"Whatever scenarios you think through, the old military saying is that "no plan survives first contact with the enemy", and we saw that again in Russia with how the race unfolded.
"Each call has its own context and we may face more tough moments before the year is over. But we will handle each one on its merits and face them together, as a strong team."
MORE: Hamilton must seal title before Bottas can win a race
MORE: 'Bottas will always be Hamilton's wingman'
Most read

Helmet cams become mandatory for all 20 drivers after F1 deal struck

F1 LIVE - Williams reserve driver departs

Verstappen fires Ricciardo warning as Red Bull sense Mercedes problems - GPFans F1 Recap

Ricciardo warned off by Verstappen after Red Bull return

Verstappen set for Ferrari drive? Red Bull star on the hunt
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
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

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860