Valtteri Bottas demands solution learn from "big mistake" with Monaco pit stop

Bottas, Mercedes, Monaco — Photo: © LAT Images

Monaco Grand Prix

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Bottas demands Mercedes solution from "big mistake" with Monaco pit stop

Bottas retired from second place in Monaco

Ewan Gale

Sunday 23 May 2021 20:48

Valtteri Bottas was left dumbfounded by the wheel nut problem that forced him into retirement from the Monaco Grand Prix and damaged his F1 title hopes.

The Mercedes driver was in a comfortable second place before pitting, only for the right-front wheel nut to cross-thread and 'machine' itself to the axle of the W12.

It was Bottas' second retirement of the season, leaving him fourth in the drivers' standings behind McLaren's Lando Norris and 58 points adrift of new leader Max Verstappen.

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On his race-ending issue, Bottas said: "I couldn't believe what happened and it still seems strange.

"It happened and it is a big mistake by us as a team that we need to learn from whether it is a human error or a technical issue, it doesn't matter. We need to find a solution.

"If it is a human error, we need to support the guy who did it but we need to learn from this. Super disappointed.

"I was kinda counting that maybe we had lost the place to [Carlos] Sainz and then Norris. Then it was so long and I just couldn't believe it.

"I have never had an issue that our race ends in a pit stop so it is very strange, a strange feeling."

Mercedes paying price for pit errors

It is not the first time Bottas has had a poor pit stop this season as an issue in Bahrain also cost him the chance of victory.

Bottas added: "[Pit stops] have not been perfect this year so they will be a high priority going forward.

"It has not been the strongest point for us but there is no one to blame, as a team we have to be better than that."

Bottas' retirement contributed to Red Bull overtaking Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

The Finn was unsure whether he would have been able to challenge Verstappen for the race win, however, due to the difference in the performance of the tyres for each team.

"The start was good," he explained. "Max defended and I had to lift. The pace was good but the tyres for Red Bull lasted a bit better, the soft tyre.

"He pulled a gap to us at the end of the stint and the tyre was graining. I am sure with the hard it would be okay but it would have been tricky to challenge for the win.

"Of course, we would have tried but at least we could have come from the day with a good podium."