Why Bottas scuppered FIA test plans

Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur has explained a hydraulic issue was the cause of Valtteri Bottas' stoppage that saw the FIA's attempt at a practice start foiled.

Race control threw red flags with 10 minutes remaining of the morning session on day two of testing in Bahrain, causing confusion as to what had triggered the stoppage.

A message subsequently conveyed the plans for cars to leave the pits and form on the grid for a practice start and so rehearse the procedure for a race resumption should a grand prix be red-flagged during the season.

The plans went awry when Max Verstappen and George Russell failed to leave the pits on time, meaning the aborted start procedure was triggered, before Bottas then stopped on track during the extra formation lap.

"We had a small issue on the hydraulic system and we had to stop the car and trigger the red flag," explained Vasseur.

"It is a bit of a shame because this morning we had different small issues and we didn't do the programme.

"Yesterday, we had a strong day on day one and even in the extreme conditions with the sand and the temperature, we were able to do the programme."

Asked how Bottas and rookie team-mate Guanyu Zhou were looking ahead of the final day of testing, Vasseur joked: "At this stage of the season, everybody is world champion!

"We will see next week after quali but for sure, the approach of the team and the commitment of the drivers is huge.

"It is a huge push for everybody, they are pushing at the factory, they are trying to get the best from the 500 people and this is a huge step forward for us."

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