2019 United States GP AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 03: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1, celebrates winning the World Championship, WM, Weltmeisterschaft with race winner Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1, colleagues and during the 2019 Formula One United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, on November 03, 2019 in Austin, Texas, USA. Photo by Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY 31I9276
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas controversially attempted to win the fastest lap at the 2021 Dutch GP
Max Verstappen kept the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas at bay to ease to victory in his home track.
The Mercs took P2 and P3. However, there was a cloud of controversy within their team towards the end of the race.
Hamilton who had been holding the fastest lap point until the very last 5 laps, had to rush to the pits after his teammate Bottas took the fastest lap after pitting with 5 laps to go.
Although, Hamilton sped his way once again to re-gain that one point with ease, Bottas disobeying James’ orders proved to be the talking point.
Bottas‘ words “Why not?” after he was asked to not go for the fastest lap, on the radio, began trending.
Toto Wolff and Bottas then played it down saying that it was unintentional.
The incident had the F1 community buzzing as Bottas move away from Mercedes looks imminent.
Hamilton’s former teammate and 2016 F1 Champion Nico Rosberg, wasn’t particularly happy with what he had seen.
He claimed that the one point was “worth nothing” for the Finnish driver, before going on to say that he was going “nuts in the TV room” (SkySports).
Rosberg was quoted as saying (on-air SkySports:
“That one point is worth nothing for Valtteri, so you just create such a big issue. Even though he slowed down in the third sector, he still took it away and that was bad enough. We were going nuts in the TV room. Valtteri, no you can’t do that.” [via GP Blog]
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