Bottas expected more trouble with Verstappen: "Went out of more tension"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Valtteri Bottas had considerably less trouble against Max Verstappen last Sunday than he had expected. The Finnish driver of Mercedes didn't expect to take second place from the Dutchman so soon.
"In the end it was easier to catch up than I first thought," confirms Bottas to Autosport. "I assumed it would be exciting, but I think he suffered too much tire wear."
The moment
"We sat side by side in turn five and six. Then I realized there was no room for two cars, so I let him pass. Later I had the momentum and the tyre advantage. That was the moment to catch him", Bottas concluded.
In the end Bottas caught up with the Red Bull driver, putting the Finn in second place behind winner Lewis Hamilton. "During the race I wondered if I would catch him very quickly or drive him slowly and then catch him at the end of the stint. I chose the latter. I think it worked out fine that way". Bottas, with his second place in Styria, is the leader of the World Cup classification.