Toto Wolff backs Valtteri Bottas to bounce back in Canada

Toto Wolff believes Valtteri Bottas will use his Monaco GP disappointment to come stronger at the next race, the Canadian Grand Prix.

Bottas was robbed of the opportunity to fight for the win in Sunday’s Monaco GP when Max Verstappen hit him in the pits.

The duo, along with race leader Lewis Hamilton and fourth placed Sebastian Vettel, pitted on the same lap under the Safety Car on the same lap of the Sunday’s 78-lap grand prix.

However, with Bottas backing up Verstappen to give Mercedes time to service Hamilton, that meant Red Bull were able to launch an attack in the pits.

Released almost alongside Bottas, Verstappen hit the W10, resulting in a penalty for the Dutchman, a puncture for Bottas and a loss of two positions for the Finn.

Verstappen was handed a time penalty for an unsafe release and fell from second to fourth.

Bottas only recovered as far as third.

“Valtteri 2019 is going to get out of this stronger,” Wolff told Crash.net.

“I think he has shown huge resilience and determination in these last races.

“His speed was mind-blowing in qualifying and I have no doubt that this will annoy the hell out of him and he’s going to come back strong, very very strong, in Montreal.

“Max lost a position because of the penalty and because of the manoeuvre, and Valtteri lost the second place, three points more lost, and Mercedes lost the 1-2.

“But then again, from the team’s point of view we are super happy with the 1-3.

“From Valtteri’s point, he will be gutted.

“He had the pace this weekend. He could’ve had pole in terms of raw speed and in the race P2 was the minimum I think.

“He was feeling this was taken away from him.”

Bottas trails Hamilton by 17 points in the championship having last won in Baku.

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