Formula 1 | Austrian GP: Vettel, Ricciardo unconvinced by Bottas’ reaction time at start of race

Formula One rivals Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo saw Valtteri Bottas take off like a rocket at the start of Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix and concluded the Mercedes driver had either jumped the lights, got lucky or was not human.

Both immediately went on the radio to ask their teams, Ferrari and Red Bull respectively, whether the Finn had gone too soon. And both were still shaking their heads in disbelief after Bottas was cleared of any misdemeanour and went on to win the race.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Valtteri, I think he drove an excellent race,” said Vettel, who finished second to extend his championship lead over Bottas’s team mate Lewis Hamilton to 20 points. “But when I said I don’t believe, it’s because I don’t believe. I think normally the reaction times (to the lights) are around 0.2 for everyone. I don’t think that everyone was that much slower today, and that’s why I don’t believe that Valtteri was that much quicker,” Vettel added.

“I had a strong belief at the time that he jumped the start. Turned out he didn’t. But I can’t believe that his reaction time was 0.2. That would be normal and in …read more