Lewis Hamilton unaware of Mercedes' team orders to Valtteri Bottas

Bottas, Hamilton, Mercedes, SpanishGP — Photo: © LAT Images

Spanish Grand Prix

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Hamilton unaware of Mercedes' team orders to Bottas

Bottas was instructed to allow Hamilton through when on alternate strategies

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Sunday 9 May 2021 18:28

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Lewis Hamilton has revealed he had expected to battle with Valtteri Bottas during the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix and was not expecting Mercedes to interject with team orders.

After Hamilton made a second pit-stop in an ultimately successful attempt to pressurise Max Verstappen and Red Bull at the end of the race on fresher tyres, the British driver was demoted to third, behind team-mate Bottas.

The Finn was given a clear instruction not to hold up Hamilton but appeared to make life difficult for the seven-time champion, forcing him to lunge to the inside of the newly reprofiled turn 10.

Hamilton, however, has indicated he was unaware of any team orders.

"We are the best team-mates," said Hamilton. "Honestly, I didn't know he had a message so in my mind I was like, 'We are racing'.

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"That is really fine for me, particularly early on in the season. In my mind, I was getting close and going for an overtake.

"We were on massively different strategies so I was going to get him at some stage because I had much fresher tyres and into turn 10, I thought there was a gap there but I wasn't sure, but Valtteri was completely fair.

"I hope I didn't lose him too much time. This is how we win as a team. We are sometimes in the position where we have got to put the team first. Getting a second and a third is good but getting a first is the most points and that is key."

Bottas suggested his tight pit window to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had compromised his race with an overtake on lap one, dictated how difficult he had made Hamilton's life.

"I got the message and obviously we were on a different strategy at that point so unless something crazy had happened we weren't really in the fight anymore with him," Bottas added.

"The thing was, at that time I was trying to get Charles out of my pit window and stop again to try and be ahead of him.

"I was really conscious that I don't want to lose too much time and wanted to focus on my race.

"As a racing driver you prioritise yourself and your race because that is what you do but also, we work as a team so you don't want to ruin the win for the team if that is possible if it is not possible for you.

"I tried to do the best thing I could do for the team and myself. It is always hard with those type of things. In the end, it was kind of ok."