Bottas was furious over the team radio about the decision not to use a two-stop strategy as he struggled with tire life in the closing stages of the race at Paul Ricard, which allowed Sergio Perez to finish third.
Bottas had a difficult start to the 2021 season, finishing a race no higher than third and scoring less than half as many points as teammate Lewis Hamilton.
This form comes at a time when Bottas’ future is the subject of widespread debate and speculation as his contract expires at the end of the season and there is a possibility that Mercedes junior George Russell could replace him in 2022.
In a speech on Motorsport TV Live on Wednesday, ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya questioned the relationship between Bottas and Mercedes, believing it would improve if the team made a quick decision about its future. Bottas made it clear, however, that his frustration with the radio was not a sign that his relationship with Mercedes had broken down at all.
“I can say that very directly, this perception is completely wrong,” said Bottas. “We have a good relationship with the team. There’s no problem. Such situations are normal.
“I’m sure not all things have aired in the past and what has brought us this far as a team has always been direct and honest with your feelings and when you feel there is a place.” To improve .
“So it’s nothing new and everything is fine.”
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The radio message from Bottas to Paul Ricard was warmly received by Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff, who was glad that the Finn did not internalize his feelings.
Bottas said he could be “more direct” with the team when it came to his radio discussions and thoughts on strategy, but was glad that Wolff had received his message well.
“I’m happy if he liked it, but obviously I wasn’t that happy in this situation,” said Bottas. “But that’s racing, it’s emotions. It’s so hard to describe the feeling when you’re in the car. We’re not at a tea party, we’re in an elite, top-class sport.
“I want to do well, I want the team to do well. There are emotions, even for a Finn. “
Mercedes has made it clear that there won’t be a rash decision on its driver line-up for 2022, and Bottas also says he doesn’t want to be distracted by any conversations.
Bottas admitted that this was “not a new situation” as he always had one-year contracts with Mercedes, but it was not the right time to talk about a new deal.
“Everyone knows how this sport works: when you get results, you earn your place where you deserve it,” said Bottas. “If you don’t get any results and the team feels they need to change drivers, then they will change drivers. In this sport, it’s very easy.
“I go back one more time that there are 16 races left. The team knows what I’m capable of, they know how valuable I’ve been to winning the championship in recent years, and so on.
“It is not yet time for these discussions. We’re at the start of the triple headers now, that’s the focus now, and I’m sure we’ll have time in the weeks off to discuss when the time comes.
“But that is the situation, and here I am. I have to try to maximize. It’s easy.”
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