Frustrated Bottas couldn't profit from better pace in Monaco

40

Valtteri Bottas spent his entire afternoon staring at the rear end of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari, the Mercedes never getting close enough to mount a proper attack on his fellow Finn.

The duo was locked in the position they started from - fourth and fifth respectively - for the duration of the 78-lap race, racing on their own but without any real opportunity for Bottas to move ahead given Monaco's frustrating overtaking restrictions.

"It can be very frustrating when you feel you have the pace but there’s nothing you can do with it,” Bottas said at the end of a frustrating day.

"It is extremely difficult here to overtake and I was never close enough to Kimi that I could try to attack.

Hamilton admits he was 'just cruising' in Monaco

"I felt I had better pace than the cars in front of me but I knew that as soon as I would get close to them there was nothing I could do.

"I think he struggled with his front tyres more than I, but his rears looked in very good condition and he could always get good traction out of the last corner and also into the tunnel, so I never got close to him in the places where you can overtake here unfortunately."

Bottas doubted his uneventful afternoon would have been any different had he gone for a different strategy.

"I think we made the right choice with the superSoft tyre for my second stint, it felt like it was working better than the ultraSofts," he said.

"The first stint was difficult because of the tyre drop-off, but the second stint was really good, I could put pressure on the cars ahead.

"I had more pace than the cars in front of me, and yet there was nothing I could do," lamented the Finn.

"We knew the weekend might be difficult and that's how it turned out to be, but we managed to do successful damage limitation.

"Qualifying P5 did not make that any easier for me and I don't think we could have done anything different today with the car we have.

"Montreal should be a better hunting ground for our car, so we hope for a better outcome in Canada."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.