After a frustrating start to his Saturday with a power unit change, Mercedes Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is remaining upbeat after qualifying in third place for the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Finn made a mistake on his first run which looked to have cost him a shot at pole position, the second run was better, but Sebastian Vettel pipped him to a slot on the front row.
After only having limited running in FP3 and facing unpredictable windy conditions, Bottas was struggling to really get the car in the window he wanted.
“For most of the weekend we’ve had the edge on Ferrari but in Q3 they raised their game,” Bottas said.
“For me starting the day with the engine change and moving back to the old engine, I was always going to be on the back foot.
“I really struggled through qualifying with the rear stability of the car, so it was difficult to find a good rhythm. It wasn’t one of my best qualifying sessions but I’m happy with the job that the team has done.”
With a substantial run to Turn 1 at the Barcelona circuit, Bottas, however, is optimistic about his chances, looking to emulate the start he made at the last race Russia that was crucial to him clinching his first grand prix win.
Bottas added: “It’s a shorter run down to Turn 1 than in Sochi, but we’ve seen in the past that you can make positions from the second row.
“I’ve done some good things from P3 before. Everything is still wide open. We’re happy with the race pace and upbeat for tomorrow.”
