F1 News
Bottas admits to poor race amidst pressure: "It was a mess"
Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Under pressure Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has admitted that his race was "a mess" after suffering front wing damage in the first lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as the Finn had to pit early for a new nose and finished eighth as teammate Lewis Hamilton took home the win at the Hungaroring.
Bottas pipped Hamilton in qualifying on Saturday as the 29-year-old lined up on the front row next to pole-sitter Max Verstappen.
Championship leader Hamilton was quicker off the line, however, with Bottas staying ahead in T1 but losing his place to the Brit in T2, as the five-time landed a gutsy move around the outside to get the inside line into turn 3.
Because of his slow exit as he had to lift, Charles Leclerc took advantage by overtaking Bottas as well. The Finn then clipped his front wing on the Monegasque's SF90, forcing him to pit early for a new nose and dropping him down to last place.
With the Hungaroring being a narrow track, it proved hard for Bottas to drive back into the points, as he eventually finished in P8 on a day where he could've had much more.
"It was tough, not what I expected, far from it and after the first lap incidents it was a mess," Bottas was quoted by BBC Sport.
"That is how it goes sometimes. Turn 1 I had a lock-up, that was my mistake. With the flat spots I gained some understeer, that made it tricky for Turn 3 when Lewis and Charles came, we had the contact [with Leclerc] and I lost some of the front wing."
