Formula 1 2020: Valtteri Bottas says he will look to attack Lewis Hamilton at Belgian GP to keep title hopes alive

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium: Valtteri Bottas shrugged off his disappointment at qualifying second behind Lewis Hamilton on Saturday and pledged to attack his Mercedes team-mate in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix to keep alive his title challenge. “I’m not too bothered as I know second place is a good place to start with such a good run up to Turn One,” he said. “I need to attack if I want to keep my title hopes there and nothing is over until it’s over so I am definitely going to go for it. “I know there will be opportunities to do it.” The Finn added that he had felt his second flying run in Q3 was a good one, but had left him wondering how six-time champion Hamilton could be half a second faster. Hamilton claimed his sixth Belgian pole and the 93rd pole of his career with a flawless track record lap. “I had a bit of a lock-up at Turn One, but the second run was pretty good overall and felt good so I don’t know where the gap to Lewis was…” Bottas will have to fend off a strong challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the start of the race after the Dutchman qualified third with a strong showing in the final part of Q3. “It’s been a positive weekend for us,” he said. “We came here and thought it would be really tricky, but to be P3 and so close to Valtteri – although we are half a second off Lewis – I think I had a decent lap. “I ran out of energy a little bit but that’s distributed all round the whole lap which is the best way to do it… Overall, I am pleased. “If you look at the lap time to Lewis, I don’t think we can fight them in the race — but I hope the weather comes into play. If it rains, it will make it more fun.”