Valtteri Bottas says the relatively small gap between himself and Max Verstappen at the conclusion of the Canadian Grand Prix can be attributed to the Mercedes driver running out of fuel.
Bottas held second throughout the course of the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, fending off an initial attack from Verstappen into Turn 1 to preserve his grid slot.
Bottas maintained a buffer back to Verstappen but the Red Bull driver closed in across the final laps, and the duo came across the line after 70 laps separated by just a few tenths of a second.
The error in the timing of the chequered flag meant the result was backdated by two laps, but Bottas explained that he was “pushing to the limit” throughout the race.
“Then we got into a bit of trouble in the end, running out of fuel, so that’s why Max got close in the end.
“I think this was the maximum we could achieve. In qualifying it was a matter of just hundreds of a second, so maybe from pole things would have been a little bit different.”
Bottas’ runner-up position was his fourth from seven Grands Prix but he has yet to stand atop the podium since last year’s season-ending event in Abu Dhabi.
“Second places, as a driver who wants to win races, is not the best place to be,” he said.
“But, honestly, from where we started, with the start we had, with the pace we had, there was nothing more to.
“I think there was nothing we could have done better. That’s where we are as a team now, Ferrari was better this weekend, Red Bull was very close and we couldn’t have done better with the car we had.
“I don’t get too upset with second place, but there’s no doubt this year I’ve been pretty close, so for sure if we [keep] pushing, as a team, we will improve and also, for myself, the fire is still burning.”
Bottas’ podium lifted him above Daniel Ricciardo in the Drivers’ Championship into third position, 35 points behind Sebastian Vettel.
