HAMILTON’S FORESIGHT DEFEATS BOTTAS
He didn’t think twice when the time came. He’d homed in on his rival, ratcheted up the pressure, got into the perfect position.
As a result, Valtteri Bottas was powerless to resist Lewis Hamilton’s attack, armed with DRS, down the Algarve International Circuit’s main straight at the start of lap 20 of 66 in last Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix. Bottas refused to cede the inside line, stealing onto the dusty asphalt very close to the pitwall, but it was never going to be enough. Hamilton was through, his record-clinching 92nd Formula 1 victory in sight.
Hamilton had clinically lined up that decisive move for the lead, but he’d actually struck the blow that did for Bottas ahead of qualifying. But, well before the events of what was ultimately the race-winning move played out, Mercedes had found itself in a position that took the team back 71 Hamilton wins – to an era of a different livery, driver line-up and team management: behind a McLaren on merit.
Hamilton had made a straightforward getaway from pole, but Bottas – starting on the less grippy right-hand side of the grid away from the racing line – was slow away. He fell behind Max Verstappen on the run to the fast, sweeping right of Turn 1, but recovered well at the next two turns, muscling the Red Bull off the track and back down to third.
As the Mercedes shot into what looked like very familiar territory at the head of the pack, Verstappen was about to have his second shunt of the weekend, following his collision with Lance Stroll in FP2. After being firmly manoeuvred off
