Hamilton facing Bottas at the start: « I was too kind at the first corner »
Lewis Hamilton felt he had been too accommodating with his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, at the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this Sunday.
Failing to just 59 thousandths of a second from pole position, Lewis Hamilton hadn’t experienced the most incredible Saturday, being beaten for the second time in qualifying. At the race start, Hamilton got off to a good start compared to his garage neighbor. This interesting start not converted into an overtaking move led the five-time world champion to say that he had been too cautious with his teammate.
« I was too kind at turn 1 and gave him too much space.
However, Hamilton made sure to congratulate the Finn, winner for the fifth time in his career this Sunday:
« He had a fantastic race and made no mistakes. So he deserved the victory this weekend. Even though I wanted to overtake him, I had to be cautious at the same time and leave him room so we could secure the double. In the end, I lose out, but it’s a sacrifice you sometimes have to make for the team to win. I think if it was a Ferrari, things would have been very different. And that’s how it’s going to continue for the rest of the year. »
Even though the Briton would never manage to trouble Bottas during the race, the driver of Mercedes #44 also explained that he preferred to play the team’s game to bring home another one-two finish, the fourth this season!
All while adding a mark of courtesy towards his teammate:
« I think that Valtteri and I have always had a lot of respect for each other… and we continue to do so! I think you can see it. That’s how we treat each other, we discuss, we agree as men, and we stick to that.
In any case, this series of performances by the German team constitutes an absolute record in Formula 1. Mercedes now has a considerable lead over its closest rival, Ferrari. Indeed, the star brand can count on a 74-point gap in the constructors’ championship!
In any case, even if Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton have shared all the victories equally so far (two each), it is the Finnish driver who leads the championship, thanks to the fastest lap point he secured in Australia during the inaugural race.
