Valtteri Bottas could be ‘sidelined’ at Mercedes if he doesn’t improve fast – Schumacher

F1: George Russell hikes during the off-season

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Ralf Schumacher says Valtteri Bottas risks losing his Mercedes seat, unless he starts picking up his pace for the championship-winning team after crashing out of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.

Bottas collided with the Williams of George Russell on lap 32 on the approach to Tamburello as the Brit tried to overtake him. However, it ended in a high-speed crash which ruined both of their races as they battled for the last points-paying positions.

For Russell, it was potentially his first haul of points for Williams snatched away from him, however for Bottas was clearly struggling for pace in the Mercedes as the two tangled fighting for P9.

Both drivers blamed each other after the race, however, Russell has apologised for his part, but Schumacher says the bigger problem lies at Mercedes with the Finn.

“Bottas has to ask himself why he has to defend himself against a Williams,” Schumacher wrote in his column for Sky Germany.

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“George’s speculation that Valtteri acted like this because of the special scenario – Russell is a Mercedes junior and has ambitions for the Bottas cockpit – Toto Wolff dismissed as ‘bullsh*t’.

“At over 300 km/h Bottas certainly doesn’t want to play games, but he certainly didn’t want to let Russell just pass by either. And I didn’t like his attitude in the interviews that followed.

“In general, he has to ask himself why he had to defend himself against a Williams while lying deep in midfield.

“He’s been on a similar level to Hamilton so many times, but he’s a long way off at the moment.

“At Mercedes, they try to explain it with a lack of grip on Botta’s rear axle – for me, the entire Valtteri Bottas package currently lacks grip.

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“There has to be more to come, otherwise he will quickly be sidelined.”

At the time, both drivers were fiercely blaming one and another for the shunt, which the stewards deemed as a racing incident, with Bottas adding: “I’ve seen the replay and there was definitely space for two cars all the time, so I don’t know, he was trying to say something but it was completely his fault so quite disappointing.”

But the Monday after the race, Russell issued this statement: “I apologise to Valtteri, to my team and to anyone who felt let down by my actions. That’s not who I am and I expect more from myself, as I know others expect more from me.

But Schumacher believed they both played their role: “The question of guilt has and will certainly be discussed a lot. Neither of them is blameless.

“That is how the FIA race stewards, who did not issue a penalty, saw it. Of course it was very ambitious for George to overtake a Mercedes in his Williams at this point.

“Big risk, but Valtteri just had to expect someone to come. Russell was behind him – he knew that – even with the DRS open – he can’t twitch over like that, because then the track is simply too narrow for two cars.

“Bottas was startled, withdrew again, by then it was already too late. Russell had reacted to his twitching, had swerved to the right, came onto the wet grass, turned to the left and cleared Bottas with him.”

“The only good news to come from the crash was that neither driver was injured.

“The whole thing happened at high speed, the two cars were completely destroyed – but the drivers were unharmed,” Schumacher added.

“Somehow we’ve all got used to the safe Formula 1 – and yet you have to be grateful every time when two drivers, shocked after such a crash, climb out of their wrecks safely and independently.

“Halo played a good role again, Russell’s left front tyre was already threateningly close to Bottas’s head.”

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