Valtteri Bottas admitted missing out on a podium finish in the Monaco Grand Prix was disappointing, with the Finn seeing Daniel Ricciardo jump him in the pit stops to be relegated to fourth at the chequered flag.
The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer had run third in the opening stages at the Principality, but found himself caught in traffic after making his pit stop, which gave Ricciardo the opportunity to move ahead when the Red Bull Racing driver made his own stop five laps later.
Bottas hopes that Monaco ends up being Mercedes’ worst weekend of the season, especially as neither he or team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished on the podium and Scuderia Ferrari finished first and second.
“Missing out on a first Monaco podium is painful,” said Bottas. “It’s been a long week and we’ve worked so hard, so it’s disappointing to miss out.
“I was stuck in the traffic while Daniel (Ricciardo) was running in free air and ultimately, that cost me a place on the podium. It’s been a really tough weekend for us and we’ve just been missing pace.
“Ferrari were very strong this weekend and for whatever reason, their car seems easier to operate, so we have work to do. We have to learn from this, but there’s a long year ahead.
“Hopefully this will be our worst weekend this season. Canada should be a different story.”
