Reuters
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 18, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the race with third place Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Reuters
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 18, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the race with third place Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has been one of the most selfless drivers on the grid at the moment. And the Finn proved the statement during qualifying at Silverstone; Bottas offered his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, the much-needed tow to defeat Max Verstappen effortlessly.
However, that’s not all the assistance Bottas gifted to his championship-winning teammate. The second and more crucial help arrived during the race at the British Grand Prix.
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When Hamilton tapped Verstappen’s right-rear on lap 1, the Briton suffered significant damages to his front wing. And, at that point in the race, the cars were still following the safety car, and the session was yet to be red-flagged. Hence, to study the damages to Hamilton’s car, Mercedes ended up using Bottas.
Radio conversation between Bottas and Mercedes
The radio exchange started moments after Hamilton and Verstappen came into contact around the high-speed turn 9. “Double yellow! Lewis ahead has got damage,” Bottas’ race engineer updated.
He then requested the Mercedes driver to close in on Hamilton ahead to take a peek at his front-left. “And Valtteri, you can go alongside Lewis – don’t overtake him – have a look if you can see any damage on his car. Just stay behind him,” the race engineer told his pilot.
Ontem, depois do toque, Riki (engenheiro de Valtteri) mandou o recado:
📻| Riki: “Valtteri, tente ir ao lado de Lewis e veja se o carro tem algum defeito. Caso tenha, apenas fique atrás dele.”
📻| Valtteri: “Honestamente, apenas uma fissura na asa”
TE AMAMOS, VALTTERI! 💙 pic.twitter.com/3WVbCz2Amn
— Mercedes-AMG F1 Brasil 🇧🇷 (@MercedesAMGF1BR) July 20, 2021
“Ah honestly, I don’t see a lot. Maybe some small bits on the front wing. But…” Bottas responded before the race engineer interrupted and thanked the Finn.
Is Bottas proving to be the perfect wingman for Hamilton?
Mercedes are no longer the dominant F1 team, with rivals starting to mount increasing pressure on the Brackley outfit. Hence, Mercedes have returned to the state where they aren’t hesitant about using one of their drivers to benefit the other.
Reuters
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 16, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton shakes hands with Valtteri Bottas after finishing first and third respectively in the sprint race qualifying REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
No driver would suit this role better than Bottas, and this is a blunt truth. The Finn hasn’t shown any kind of reluctance, be it in helping Hamilton gain a few tenths in qualifying or letting him past during the race.
Hence, there is no denying that Bottas is playing a massive contribution in gaining Mercedes crucial points amidst the intense ongoing battle with Red Bull. So, considering Bottas‘ pivotal role in the team, will Mercedes opt to retain the Finn beyond this season?
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