Valtteri Bottas still fighting for "big chance" to apply F1 title pressure on Red Bull

Bottas, Mercedes, Russia — Photo: © LAT Images

Russian Grand Prix

Bottas still fighting for "big chance" to apply F1 title pressure on Red Bull

Finn starts Russian Grand Prix seventh

Ian Parkes

Saturday 25 September 2021 19:54

Valtteri Bottas believes he and Lewis Hamilton can still inflict heavy damage on Red Bull in the fight for this year's F1 constructors' title following a missed opportunity in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Bottas will start from fourth and seventh on the Sochi Autodrom grid as a delay in switching from intermediate to slick tyres cost the duo the chance of an all-Mercedes front row.

Although Hamilton hit the wall lining the pit-lane entry and required a new front wing, which also hampered Bottas' own tyre change, that was not the defining factor.

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Even with two clean stops, neither Hamilton nor Bottas would have had time to run for a pivotal second lap on soft tyres as track evolution proved critical in the closing stages. Despite the lower-than-expected grid positions, Mercedes still has the opportunity to significantly increase its 18-point lead over Red Bull with Max Verstappen starting from the back of the grid and Sergio Perez ninth.

"It is a chance to get a lot more points than Red Bull," said Bottas.

"I really believe we can still fight for the win based on the pace we had in the long runs [in practice on Friday]. If it's a dry race, we'll be there or thereabouts."

After trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin recently bemoaned Mercedes' run of "messy races", Bottas feels Sochi qualifying will also need to be reviewed.

"Q1 and Q2 were good," added Bottas. "We definitely had good speed all through the conditions, but in Q3 when it was starting to dry, we need to review.

"I think maybe we came in a bit late when others came in early for the slicks. We will have a look.

"When I came in that was the first lap I started to think it could be slicks and then they asked me and I said 'Let's box'.

"We have to review if the discussion should have been earlier but that was my feeling."