A Mercedes driver should have won the Brazilian Grand Prix. Both were fast enough. The faster of them almost managed it despite starting from the pits! The other should have got the job done having started from pole position. But both failed ultimately, to the delight of Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel.
A chronic weakness of the Mercedes Formula 1 car played a part in scuppering star man Lewis Hamilton's chances, despite a stunning recovery drive from that pitlane start, while team-mate Valtteri Bottas paid the price for a long-standing flaw in his competitive make-up, which undid his hopes of a better result once again at the crucial moment.
Bottas is a very talented driver and a hard worker to boot, someone who reviews the details of every race methodically and always tries to learn and improve.