Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was full of praise for Valtteri Bottas after he claimed victory at the Turkish Grand Prix and prevented Max Verstappen from doing further damage to Lewis Hamilton's championship challenge. With teammate Hamilton taking a grid penalty for an engine change, Bottas inherited pole position and delivered a commanding performance en route to the 10th victory of his Formula 1 career, along with the fastest lap. It could prove to be crucial in the title race, as Bottas ensured that Verstappen left Istanbul Park holding only a six-point lead over Hamilton (who finished fifth), with seven points the difference between first and second, along with the bonus point for fastest lap. After Bottas himself described it as "one of the best races I've ever had" , Wolff was keen to underline the Finn's strong performance. "It may not be his last [victory] this season, because what he's delivered this weekend was just unbelievable," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com , after Bottas ended a win drought of more than a year. "It started with an easiness from pole, he pulled away, he was the quickest man on track, the best in terms of tyre management, he kept it always under control, scored the fastest lap... it was a 10 out of 10 [performance]. "It can play a vital role in the Constructors' Championship, but also supporting Lewis, because only Valtteri's performance prevented Max to score eight more points." While Verstappen leads the Drivers' standings, Mercedes now hold a 36-point advantage over Red Bull in the Constructors' battle.
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