Wolff says team had no strategy to help frustrated Bottas

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Valtteri Bottas was unhappy with Mercedes' strategy in Bahrain, but team boss Toto Wolff defended the Brackley squad insisting it lacked alternatives to help the Finn's cause.

Bottas finished third in Sunday's season opening round in Sakhir, well adrift from teammate and race winner Lewis Hamilton and runner-up Max Verstappen.

From third on the grid, the Finn lost a position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the start. But the Mercedes driver eventually recouped the spot.

However, any hopes of gaining ground on the leading duo were quashed mid-race by a lengthy second pitstop. The Finn subsequently felt that his team had simply been too defensive in its strategy, a choice he said was "not normal".

Wolff said he understood Bottas' frustration, but the Austrian defended his crews' approach, insisting there was no viable option on the table to help move his driver forward.

"I think there wasn’t any strategy on the table," said the Mercedes boss. "Because we tried to undercut also with Valtteri that I think would change race for him.

"The outcome we wouldn’t wish for was that he lost a position at the start of the race and he kind of couldn’t recover the gap to the two guys in front."

Read also: Bottas unhappy with 'not normal' Mercedes strategy

Wolff believes that a swift and clean second stop for Bottas would have changed the complexion of the Finn's race.

"The pitstop was there to undercut Max, and I think we would probably have been successful, but we had a problem with the right front wheel gun.

"And then I don’t know what other strategy we could have run. The one stop was clearly not possible.

"The Medium wouldn’t have made it to the end, the Hard in the middle stage was running out of performance. There was no other option available.

"I totally understand the frustration in the car when you have limited information and say ‘I think we could have done something else.’"

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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.