Bottas driving his Mercedes in Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

Dutch Grand Prix

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Bottas denies disobeying Mercedes fastest lap orders

Bottas set the fastest lap despite instructions to abort

Ewan Gale

Sunday 5 September 2021 17:25

Valtteri Bottas has insisted he did not go against Mercedes team orders and attempt the fastest lap at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Bottas finished a distant third after the team initially attempted a one-stop strategy as Mercedes tried to use a strategic pincer movement to overhaul Max Verstappen, who ultimately was too strong.

After pitting for a second time in the closing stages due to tyre concerns, Bottas was instructed not to try and set the fastest lap and take away a point from team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

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The Finn, however, went on to set purple sector times in the first two sections of the Zandvoort circuit, leading to Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles instructing him to abort his lap as the timing screens lit up.

The Finn did set the fastest lap despite backing off at the end, forcing Mercedes into pitting Hamilton for a third time and rescue the point on the final lap.

"I didn't go for the fastest lap. Lewis got it, as a team we got solid points," said Bottas. "Unfortunately for me, pretty uneventful.

"Obviously, I kept pushing but we tried a one-stop so I went for a long first stint and tried to survive with the tyres to the end.

"But in the end, I had quite a big gap behind me so we just made a stop for safety basically. We tried but we didn't have enough pace today."

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