Valtteri Bottas very satisfied with his qualification at Monza

After a series of disappointing results, Williams needs reassurance, especially since Sahara Force India has moved ahead in the championship. The fifth place achieved by Valtteri Bottas is thus welcome. The Finn believes that he couldn’t have done much better after having a good Friday: “I felt very comfortable in qualifying today. Fifth is a good place to start, and I’ll be on the right side of the track. We clearly maximized the potential of the car. I think I delivered one of the best qualifying sessions of my life.”

He is confident about the race because the pace shown during the long stint simulations was very satisfactory, as he confirmed to us in the paddock: « I was very consistent, with not too much degradation. » With the two Sahara Force India cars behind him, he even aims to fight with the Ferraris, which will start just ahead of him, to maximize the points available. However, he refuses to say more about the impact of a possible fourth or fifth place in the championship on his personal future, which should take shape in the coming weeks.

On the other hand, Felipe Massa was not able to make it to Q3, even though he thought he wouldn’t have too many problems doing so. The reason is that he went out very late on his second attempt. Because of the traffic on the track, he was forced to go on a very slow out lap, which prevented him from getting his tires up to temperature. The soon-to-be retiree reassures himself by saying that he will be able to choose his tires for the start of the race, even if the balance still leans between a one-stop and a two-stop race.

From our special correspondent in Monza