Toto Wolff "living in the moment" with Valtteri Bottas motivational call

Bottas and Wolff in Qatar — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes

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Wolff "living in the moment" with Bottas motivational call

Wolff urged Bottas to progress through the order after a slow start in Qatar

Sam Hall

Thursday 25 November 2021 09:15

Valtteri Bottas has claimed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was "living in the moment" when delivering a motivational message over the team radio in Qatar.

Bottas started the Qatar Grand Prix sixth after being handed a three-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags as qualifying came to a close on Saturday.

Compounding his problems, the Finn dropped to P11 after a poor start and struggled to carve his way through the pack.

From the garage, Wolff attempted to spur on his driver saying, "Come on Valtteri, get these cars!"

Asked if the message had come as a surprise, Bottas said: "It's normal. He's living in the moment. It's while I was trying to make a move.

"It was surprising then when I get the. Maybe the timing was not right but no problem.

"[At the start there was] just no grip. On the formation lap I didn't feel like I didn't build in enough tyre temp, and on top of that, being on the dirty side of the grid, in the first three corners I was just skating around.

"There was no grip. I couldn't keep the momentum up.

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"It was tricky but then things were better, the pace was okay. Everything was feeling normal, no vibration, no loss of grip and then the puncture."

Mercedes had "no warning" over puncture

By lap 33, Bottas had recovered to third but then saw his efforts amount to nothing after suffering a puncture.

Echoing comments of Lando Norris, the McLaren driver another of the four to suffer punctures during Sunday's race, Bottas explained: "I don't know what happened.

"There was no warning, no vibration, the pace was feeling consistent, the grip was okay. I didn't run any wider in the kerbs. It just happened.

"Initially I thought the wind was getting stronger on the main straight but it felt like the car was stable. Then it punctured in the first corner, in the most unlucky point as well just after the pit exit."

With five laps remaining and with Bottas lapping outside of the points, Mercedes retired the Finn's car.

"It was too broken, too damaged," he added. "I didn't want to break it anymore and we saw there was no chance to get into the points."