Bottas and team-mate Zhou Guanyu each made Q3 and qualified ninth and 10th, placing them in a robust place to attain essential factors within the tight battle amongst the 4 groups on the backside of the constructors’ championship.
The Finn confirmed good tempo all through the weekend, earning fourth place in FP2 on Friday, after which sailed by means of the primary two components of qualifying in fifth and seventh.
The ten-time F1 grand prix winner was truly disenchanted with the ultimate run that led to his ninth place on the grid, but it surely was the crew’s greatest qualifying consequence since one other outlier efficiency in Hungary, the place Zhou and Bottas began fifth and seventh.
“I feel coming into this weekend, I used to be at all times anticipating greater than from Austin,” mentioned Bottas. “It looks as if because the first follow we have been inside prime 10 all weekend by way of tempo.
“That is why it is actually good to get each automobiles in Q3, and solely somewhat bit annoying factor at this time was on my final lap, I had a little bit of a lockup within the final sector, so there was a little bit of time misplaced. However nonetheless, we take this consequence as a result of it permits us to battle for some good factors.”
Requested why the automotive was so aggressive in Mexico he mentioned: “I feel this observe is simply the type of gradual pace nature, it nonetheless matches our automotive a bit higher.
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
“Additionally, the drag impact is much less, as a result of our automotive is kind of draggy. So right here clearly, with thin air it’s much less [of a] penalty.
“I feel set-up clever we have been capable of run the automotive in a greater place than Austin, as a result of it is much less bumpy right here. So these issues mixed.”
Bottas acknowledged that the crew has to transform the qualifying consequence into factors given the tight battle from seventh to tenth within the F1 world constructors’ championship, particularly with the AlphaTauri of Daniel Ricciardo beginning fourth.
“Actually essential now we’ve the Williams automobiles behind us, to get some factors towards them tomorrow can be actually good,” he mentioned. “And naturally try to get Daniel as a result of he is in place.”
Extra reporting by Mandy Curi