Mercedes chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin has revealed Valtteri Bottas' early retirement allowed Lewis Hamilton a "straightforward" run to equalling one of Formula 1's all-time landmarks Hamilton took the lead in Sunday's Eifel Grand Prix from team-mate Bottas when the Finn locked up and flat-spotted his soft tyres on lap 13. Article continues under video With the car suffering from vibrations, it necessitated an earlier-than-planned stop and an alternative strategy, only for his race to end five laps later with a power unit problem. With Bottas out of the equation, it meant Hamilton only had to keep an eye on Red Bull's Max Verstappen en route to securing his 91st grand prix...
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