After playing second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton in just about every session this year to date, however Valtteri Bottas turned the tables on his Mercedes teammate by powering to pole position in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, and thus registering his first ever Formula 1 top spot start.
The result goes a long way to justify the team offering Bottas a one year contract to replace retired World Champion Nico Rosberg, therefore it was no surprise that Toto Wolff was all smiles on Saturday night as he believes the result is a boost to his Mercedes team.
Wolff told reporters in the Bahrain paddock, “The first ever pole position for any driver in Formula 1 is a huge moment. [Bottas] has kept his calm, and that is important because he has the best team mate you can probably have in F1.”
“It’s a perfect situation for the team because they will be pushing each other, with all the respect they have for each other as racing drivers.”
After a solid debut for the team in Australia to finish third. But in his own words Bottas made a “silly mistake” when he spun during a safety car period in China where he finished sixth
Wolff explained, “Generally, he is not somebody that is easily shaken. When he has bad days, and one of these days happened in Shanghai, he recovers pretty quickly. He said to me: Monday morning was not good, Monday afternoon was better!.
“I think he continues to improve all the time and that’s an important skill. Equally, Lewis has that skill as well, so it’s really good for us,” added the Mercedes team chief who has mentored Bottas since he entered Formula 1 with Williams.
Read the full story at GRAND PRIX 247
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