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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W11, passes Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11, as he retires with power loss
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Analysis

What caused Bottas to gift Hamilton his F1 history moment

After rebuffing his team-mate's challenge at the start, a Valtteri Bottas error put Lewis Hamilton on course for a record-equalling 91st Formula 1 win at the Eifel GP. There was was one critical factor behind that costly mistake

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He'd done everything right. He'd taken a storming pole position against a resurgent Red Bull threat and in the process seen off his illustrious teammate. He'd done enough at the start to stay in the fight at the first corner, which became an off-track shoving match he won, per the words of his team boss, in the style of a "rally driver". He'd prevailed there with a muscling move into the second turn and then led for 12 tours, staying out of DRS threat against the other Mercedes.

And then it all went wrong for Valtteri Bottas. At the start of the Eifel Grand Prix's 13th lap, the Finn locked up his right-front tyre heavily into the Nurburgring's first corner and slid off the road - his soft rubber ruined.

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