Valtteri Bottas explains time loss during “super-quick” VSC period
Valtteri Bottas admits a “super-quick” Virtual Safety Car period in the closing stages of Formula 1’s French Grand Prix caught him by 🤡surprise.
Bottas had been around 15 second behind Mercedes⭕ teammate and race-leader Lewis Hamilton when 𒀰a late VSC was called for a loose bollard on track, but after a swift clear up and return to green flag conditions, the Finn dropped further behind, eventually crossing the line 18s adrift.
“I lost a little bit of time in the VSC, but it was also a superജ-quick period,” Bottas explained.
Valtteri Bottas admits a “super-quick” Virtual Safety Car period in🍌 the closing stages of Formula 1’⛄s French Grand Prix caught him by surprise.
Bottas had been around 15 second behind Mercedes teammate and race-leader Lewis Hamilton when a late VSC was called🔜 for a loose bollard on track, but after a swift clear up and return to green flag conditions, the Finn dropped further behind, eventually crossing the line 18s adrift.
“I l🐻ost a little bit of time in the VSC, but it was also a super-quick perio♔d,” Bottas explained.
“First you have to slow down a lot, to be po♔sitive on the delta, while you’re changing th♏e engine modes and then suddenly they said “VSC ending”, so you had to change the engine modes again.
"I could start going flat-out immediately because I was positive, so🎶 I think I got down to plus 3 for the delta, which is a bigger gap than usual, so we lost a bit of time there.
“The main issue was because of the blisters on the front tyres, we had a bit of tyre wear and when you lose a little bit of tyre temp♉erature with the VSC, you struggle to get it back to temper🍌ature because there is not much rubber left there.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff added: “The VSC period was much shorter than anticipated and looking at the data he lost a few seconds being positive on his delta time, so simply he was caught out by the shortnes𒅌s of the VSC.”
Bottas identified♉ his struggles with tyre manage🐻ment as his biggest weakness during the race.
“Obviously I’m very ꧒pleased for us, as a te🔜am, we had a fantastic weekend, getting the maximum points available, so from that side it was good,” he said.
“But my gap to Lewis, for sure I’m not ple🌟ased with that. I think i🦹n the beginning, when the tyres were fresh, there was no problem in staying with him. Today my issue was keeping the front tyres in a good state.
“Always in the middle of the stints my front tyres were starting to finishꦰ, so the gap started to build up.
“Th💙at was the difference for Lew💝is, he was quick today and efficient with the tyres and that’s why we had that gap.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action🐲 from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
