© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Lewis Hamilton says he wasn’t aware that Mercedes instructed Valtteri Bottas to move over for him, and adds “Valtteri was completely fair” in the situation.
On lap 42 of the Spanish Grand Prix Mercedes called Lewis Hamilton in for his second pit stop. The strategy was dependent upon Lewis’ ability to chase down Max Verstappen, who had a 20-something second advantage over him after the stop.
However, he had to first overtake Valtteri Bottas, who was on a different strategy and yet to pit. To prevent Lewis from losing any additional time, Mercedes instructed Bottas to let him through.
However, the Finn seemingly wasn’t making it easy for Hamilton, who passed him by undertaking what looked like a legitimate overtaking manoeuvre.
At the Spanish Grand Prix post race press conference, Lewis said he wasn’t aware there were any team orders in play.
“We are the best team-mates,” the Briton said.
“Honestly, I didn’t know he had a message so in my mind I was like, ‘We are racing’. That is really fine for me, particularly early on in the season.
“In my mind, I was getting close and going for an overtake. We were on massively different strategies so I was going to get him at some stage because I had much fresher tyres and into turn 10.
“I thought there was a gap there but I wasn’t sure, but Valtteri was completely fair. I hope I didn’t lose him too much time.
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“This is how we win as a team. We are sometimes in the position where we have got to put the team first.
“Getting a second and a third is good but getting a first is the most points and that is key,” concluded Hamilton.
Bottas said it was his tight pit window to Charles Leclerc that caused him not to let Hamilton through easily.
“I got the message and obviously we were on a different strategy at that point, so unless something crazy had happened we weren’t really in the fight anymore with him,” the Finn explained.
“The thing was, at that time I was trying to get Charles out of my pit window and stop again to try and be ahead of him.
“I was really conscious that I don’t want to lose too much time and wanted to focus on my race.
“As a racing driver you prioritise yourself and your race because that is what you do, but also we work as a team, so you don’t want to ruin the win for the team if that is possible, if it is not possible for you.
“I tried to do the best thing I could do for the team and myself. It is always hard with those type of things.
“In the end, it was kind of ok,” concluded Bottas.
