Wolff Admits Mercedes’Let Bottas Down’ In Monaco

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that they let Valtteri Bottas down in this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The Finn was running in P2 when he came in for what should have been a routine pitstop, but the attempted tyre change ultimately forced him to retire from the grand prix after a wheel nut lodged itself into the front right wheel of his car.

READ: Norris: Brown & Seidl Sometimes Give Me A ‘Kick Up The Arse’ To Do Better

This made it impossible for his pit crew to remove the tyre, leaving Mercedes with no choice but to retire the car.

Speaking after the race, Wolff said that Bottas was partly to blame for the incident, as he didn’t stop exactly on his marks in the pit box and therefore forced one of the mechanics to apply the wrench at an angle.

“Valtteri stopped a little too early,” Wolff said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS).

“This meant that the mechanic had to apply the impact wrench at an angle. The awkward angle damaged the wheel nut and we couldn’t bring it down.”

Speaking this week about Bottas’ future at Mercedes, Wolff admitted that the Finn has had a lot of bad luck this campaign and said the team let him down in Monaco.

READ: Ex-F1 Driver Gives Verdict On How Vettel Compares To Verstappen, Leclerc & Norris

Article continues below

“I think that’s too harsh,” Wolff told GP Fans when asked if Bottas has already been given enough time to prove himself at Mercedes.

“He has also had a lot of bad luck when I think about Monaco where he should have finished second on the road, and we let him down. It’s very harsh.

“And if your team-mate is a seven-time world champion, a 100-grand prix winner, obviously, that will be difficult.

“He is a great team player, he has won multiple grand prix, has been on call all the time, 53 podium appearances, and that is a solid, very important pillar for us as a team that needs to be considered,” the Austrian added.