Sasha Jednak
Sasa Jednak
Bolded part, bottas is in Merc car, with tyres 2 laps younger than Perez's (who is in slower car). What people would expect is that he does same as Perez just a bit faster (due to car). What people actually expect from him is to do JUST same as Perez. What people don't expect from him is to lose pace in fastest car on same age tyres to slower cars.This, thank you.
I find it so ridiculous to think Bottas isn't one of the top drivers, just because of his performance today. Yes, Russell won the start and had an amazing overtake vs. Bottas, but come on people, everyone wins some and looses some. Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Häkkinen, Senna and other top drivers got outplayed from time to time. Not a single driver is above that. And man, Bottas suffered from the pitstop disaster at least as much as Russell did, if not more. He had no fresh tires, what do people expect?
And like other names in the F1 themselves have said, Lewis is one of the best drivers of all time. His success isn't just the product of his car and those who think it is are really a bunch of clowns, sorry to be so harsh. No one becomes a 7-time world champion just because of the car they're sitting in. Or else Webber, Barrichello or Rosberg would have been recent multi world champions too.
And for me it is not about his performance today, it is just one in long line of (under)performance. I thought before it was underperforming but this is just his top form. He can beat Lewis when Lewis has bad day or his car has issue, same as it could happen to Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher as you say. That doesn't take anything away from Hamilton in my view. It just for me puts bottas firmly in last place of #2 list: behind Barrichello, Weber, Fisichella...