Valtteri Bottas: “Then Kimi can treat me to dinner”

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa showed that even a driver who is a lap down can make the difference – provided he is in the right place at the right time. Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas inadvertently gave the eventual race winner, Kimi Antonelli, a helping hand in the battle for victory – even though the Finn was a good seven kilometres (i.e. one lap at Spa) behind the leader at that point.

Here’s what happened: Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had started the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position, but was unlucky when it came to his first pit stop. Antonelli had come in for a tyre change shortly before the second (and longer) Virtual Safety Car phase, which was triggered by debris from lap 19 onwards. The Italian had turned into the pit lane immediately after the first short VSC phase on lap 18, but was unable to capitalise on the time saved under the VSC because the phase was too short. The other drivers who pitted during the second, longer VSC phase, however, lost less time on their tyre changes because the field was travelling more slowly under the VSC. This allowed Ferrari to complete a comparatively quicker stop, enabling Charles Leclerc to secure the lead.

Antonelli, who went on to win the race, overtook Leclerc again on lap 34 – and happened to receive some unexpected help from Valtteri Bottas in the process. The former Silver Arrow driver, who now drives for Cadillac and was a lap down at that point in the race and on the verge of being lapped, inadvertently gave Antonelli a helping hand.

Speed caught Bottas by surprise

As Bottas lapped him, Antonelli cleverly used the slipstream of the Cadillac on lap 33 to close the gap on Leclerc and finally overtake him a few corners later. A flabbergasted Bottas said: “They closed the gap so quickly that it really took me by surprise.”

The Cadillac driver had already pulled into the pits by the time Antonelli overtook Leclerc, so he didn’t notice his accidental assist to Antonelli at all. During his post-race press conference, he asked: “Did I make a difference? Was he overtaken afterwards?” He was referring to Leclerc. When the journalists confirmed this, Bottas cheekily remarked: “Well then, Kimi can treat me to dinner.”

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