Bottas surprised by the Pirelli tyres after practice in Saudi Arabia

Valtteri Bottas is surprised by how long the tyres lasted on the Jeddah circuit. The Mercedes driver almost matched Lewis Hamilton's fastest time in the second free practice and is currently well ahead of his counterpart Sergio Perez. 

The construction of the circuit on the coast of the Red Sea was only completed earlier this week. There were some concerns about the grip level, with the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix in mind. But Bottas dismisses any concerns and is actually surprised with the Pirelli tyres. 

"We got a confirmation of the grip level, you base it all on the estimates but actually we started in not a too bad place. The biggest surprise was how long the tyres lasted. I don't think we'll see too many stops during the race. All the compounds seem good," Bottas said in a conversation recorded by Sky Sports. 

The World Championship

Both Red Bull and Mercedes are fighting for both World Championships in 2021. The second drivers have played a major role over the season, and it matters more now with just two races remaining. Verstappen currently has an eight-point lead in the World Championship. Following practice in Jeddah, it's expected that Verstappen will have to fight the two Mercedes alone on Sunday.