Bottas says Sakhir Grand Prix qualifying "not my best"
Valtteri Bottas says his pole position performance at the Sakhir Grand Prix came despite him not delivering the best of qualifying sessions he has had in Formula 1.
The Finn edged out new teammate George Russell by just 0.026 seconds on the Bahrain outer loop track to allow the Mercedes duo to lock out the front row of the grid. Both cars will also start on the medium tyre after using it to get out of Q2.
On a weekend where Bottas has been under pressure not to be outperformed by Russell, who is standing in for Lewis Hamilton, he said he was happy he did enough after a scrappy run in Q3.
"For sure it's a different situation to have a new teammate but ultimately I just wanted to focus on my own doing, and not to waste energy anywhere else," said Bottas. "I think I managed to do that.
"I think strategy wise we are in a great place as a team and good to see George locking out the front row as well. It's good to be on pole, I'm happy for that but not my best qualifying. I'm happy it was enough."
While the three long straights could offer plenty of overtaking opportunities in the race, Bottas is worried that cars may still not be able to follow each other closely enough.
"It's a bit of an unknown really how the racing is going to be," he said. "It didn't feel that easy to follow other cars, so I'm really pleased to be on pole and go from there.
"Hopefully we'll see a fun race. It feels a bit of a Mickey Mouse track, in a way, it's quite bumpy and twisty. But let's see tomorrow."
Bottas and Russell's performance left Red Bull's Max Verstappen third on the grid, with him starting on the soft compound.
Although the Dutchman ended up just 0.056 seconds adrift of Bottas, he felt that shorter track reduced the significance of that.
"From our side we had a good qualifying," he said. "The lap itself as well, it's a very short lap and not many corners.
"I'm pleased to get near to be in P3. I tried to be as close as I can today. It was a bit closer than normal, but I think the layout explains that as well.
"Of course we also tomorrow will be starting on different tyres, so this will be quite interesting in how it's going to play out for us. Like I said before, we have nothing to lose so it's better to have a bit of fun tomorrow and see what we can do."
Related video
Russell "gutted" to miss out on Sakhir GP pole
Leclerc explains decision to abandon Q3 early
Reborn TGM Super Formula team announces two-car 2023 entry
The former Team Goh outfit has been relaunched as 'TGM Grand Prix' ahead of the 2023 Super Formula season.
Ellis to replace injured Auer for Bathurst 12 Hour
Philip Ellis will make his Bathurst 12 Hour debut this week as a stand-in for the injured Lucas Auer.
Despite heroic comeback, Corvette missing speed at Daytona
Corvette Racing came from two laps down to finish second in class at the Rolex 24 Hours but lost out in the final shootout to a quicker Mercedes.
Winning MSR Acura "super lucky" with Rolex 24 gearbox scare
The Meyer Shank Racing Acura team was "super lucky" that it was able to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona despite having a malfunctioning gearbox for most of the race, according to team founder and co-owner Michael Shank.
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.