Valtteri Bottas said he was only a lap or two away from a pit-stop that could have brought him a Qatar Grand Prix podium rather than retirement. The Finn’s third-last race day for Mercedes started badly and did not improve, for it began with an appointment in front of the stewards and a consequent three-place grid penalty due to being found guilty of ignoring yellow flags in qualifying. Lining up sixth on the grid, Bottas lost places off the line and dropped out of the top 10, but he was fighting back up the order and scenting a podium via a one-stop strategy when he sustained a front-left puncture on lap 33 of 57. It looked as though the 32-year-old may end up stuck in the gravel at one...
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