
Bottas' unwanted Belgian GP birthday gift
Bottas' unwanted Belgian GP birthday gift

Valtteri Bottas joked his second-lap retirement at the Belgian Grand Prix was "not the present I wanted" as his latest birthday celebrations turned sour.
Bottas turned 33 on Sunday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with the festivities interrupted only by a lap-and-a-half of on-track action.
Bottas started 13th, a position elevated due to six other drivers taking back-of-the-grid penalties and Yuki Tsunoda being forced to start from the pit lane, even though the Finn qualified last and served a 20-place drop of his own.
But when Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Nicholas Latifi in his Williams tangled on lap two, the Canadian caught the gravel and was spat across the track as he attempted to rejoin.
In trying to take avoiding action, the front wing of Latifi's car clipped the right-rear tyre of Bottas' Alfa Romeo, resulting in a spin that left him beached in the gravel.
"It’s not the birthday present I wanted," said Bottas. "But hopefully I can still have some fun before we turn our focus on next week.”
Bottas had dropped a place to 14th before his crash and on a day where Alex Albon was able to secure a point for Williams, he was left cursing the missed opportunity.
“We had pace and, with such a mixed-up grid, there could have been opportunities to get a good result, so it’s disappointing to finish my race so early," added the Finn.
"It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time: I saw Latifi spin towards the left, and all I could do was take evasive action to avoid a collision.
"Unfortunately, I spun on the grass and ended up stuck in the gravel. I tried to go forward and back, but couldn’t move."
Explaining the incident from his perspective, Latifi remarked: "I went a little off the line in turn six - there must have been a lot of marbles from the junior categories - and I understeered right off. It felt like driving in the wet on slick tyres.
"I dipped the wheel in the gravel, and it spun the rear around which caught me by surprise quite a bit.
"I thought I would go straight into the gravel and come back on slowly, but instead I spun across the track as a result and made contact with Valtteri."
Related news

Alonso offers Hamilton apology over "idiot" rant

Horner thanks Wolff for dominant Verstappen victory

Verstappen nears Schumacher record as Bruce McLaren matched - Belgian GP stats

Red Bull respond to secret lightweight chassis rumour
Most read

F1 LIVE - Party fever: McLaren names 2023 car

Ricciardo responds to Red Bull Bathurst snub

'Taking car leak to a whole new level' - Social media goes WILD after Alfa Romeo launch fail

F1 calendar meltdown warning as Montoya lays in on Ferrari - GPFans F1 Recap

Embarrassing launch gaffe as Alfa Romeo leak their own car
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
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

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860