Bottas “in control of his destiny” after winter wind-up - Wolff
Bottas “in control of his destiny” after winter wind-up - Wolff
Toto Wolff revealed he had a “good discussion” with Valtteri Bottas after his dismal performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but conceded comments of a 'winter-decision' on the Finn's future were a wind-up.
Even before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, questions had been raised over the potential of a mid-season swap between Bottas and WIlliams' George Russell.
These questions were batted away by Wolff and asked to clarify the driver's situation after qualifying third in France, just a tenth behind Hamilton, Wolff said: "We had a good discussion last week and he knows that it’s all in his hands, and that’s good news, because he’s in control of his destiny and it’s only about driving this car fast."
On Friday, Wolff commented that the team may not make a final decision on its 2022 line-up until the winter.
After enduring a winter negotiation with Lewis Hamilton ahead of the current season, the team principal had vowed not to allow a similar situation to develop again and confirmed his comments had simply been made in jest.
"It was a wind-up because you get asked this question so often," he added. "So what is the delay?
"Two drivers for one seat. Two drivers that still can have a great career in Formula 1 and I just want to see Valtteri's full potential this year and continue to observe Geroge in driving for Williams and handling their situation."
Advantage Red Bull?
Mercedes has won the last two races in France in 2018 and 2019, with the race missed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this time it was Red Bull at the front with Max Verstappen securing a confident pole.
Mercedes’ rival is currently leading the championship and is also expected to be strong in the race, with an updated Honda engine and a smaller rear wing that produces less drag giving the car a performance advantage.
Wolff added: “The new Honda engine will have some more horsepower, I guess, which is pretty normal if you put a new engine into the pool. On the other side, they run a much less draggy rear wing than us.
“In absolute lap time, [that] is good for them but for us it wouldn’t have functions because even with the lesser downforce rear wing they were still able to do the sector times in sector three.”
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Newey Red Bull EXIT date revealed as F1 star confirmed at new team - GPFans F1 Recap
- 2 hours ago
Verstappen takes F1 swipe at Hamilton and rivals with ruthless remark
- 3 hours ago
Marko defends Ricciardo in 'unbelievable' idiot claim
- Yesterday 21:57
Hamilton hints at sensational Newey arrival at Ferrari
- Yesterday 20:57
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
- Yesterday 19:57
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
- Yesterday 18:58
Related news
F1 driver hails 'INCREDIBLE' race return opportunity as track options assessed
French president gives HUGE update on historic F1 race
Rumours BUILD over French GP return to F1 calendar
F1 masterplan to secure ICONIC track's return takes tantalising new twist
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