F1: I wasn't trying to pass Hamilton - Bottas

Valtteri Bottas said he was trying to defend against attacks from behind when he collided with Lewis Hamilton at the start of Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Williams driver Bottas was given a drive-through penalty for his Turn 1 tangle with the world champion's Mercedes. It happened after a slow start for polesitter Hamilton and a rapid getaway from sixth for the Finn.

"To be honest I wasn't trying to pass him," Bottas said. "I was more focused on the cars behind and not to let anyone try to pass me from outside or inside. That's why I had to brake late.

"That has happened to me before when I've been too conservative and someone has passed me either on the inside or outside. It just caught me out then, going into the corner how tight they were keeping the line and how much they stopped their cars at the apex. I don't think they expected me to be there.

"It's a shame. It cost me places in the race today and also a shame for Lewis."

Hamilton said the impact from the Williams had taken him by surprise.

"I'm not quite sure what happened at Turn 1," he said. "Whoever was on inside was in my blind spot so I didn't see it."

Bottas continued in third after the clash, but the penalty meant he could only finish ninth. Asked if he was surprised to get a penalty, Bottas replied: "I have to say I am a little bit. But I need to have a better look to see if really I need to look in the mirror and swallow my mistake."

Hamilton dropped to seventh in the collision, but came back through to finish third.

Originally on Autosport.com