Video: Bottas sort-of breaks an F1 car at Goodwood

17th July 2020

Seán Ward

Formula 1 drivers don’t get many opportunities to do donuts. Even when they win a race they hold back, because F1 rules only allow them three 'power units' a season, so pinging one of the limiter is dangerous. So when F1 drivers come to Goodwood and have a moment to let their hair down without risking a pentalty they go to town. Enter Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas has made a few trips to the Festival now and he never disappoints, but in 2019 he did a truly remarkable job of incinerating a set of tyres. In doing so he also did exactly what you wouldn’t want to do with a celebratory donut mid-season and, well, seemed to break the car… It still ran, but there’s clearly a moment when the car goes from being happy to quite unhealthy… Ah well. It was worth it.