Valtteri Bottas should have been waved through to boost Williams’ victory hopes in the British grand prix, according to fellow Finn and retired two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen.

“Valtteri had clearly better pace than Felipe (Massa),” said Hamilton, referring to the controversial opening stages of the recent Silverstone race.

Brazilian Massa has hit back at those who think the team should have ordered him to give up the place, arguing that if Bottas was “so much faster, he would have passed me”.

But Hakkinen insists: “When you’re driving the same car with the same power, overtaking is so difficult. It would have been logical if the team had reacted immediately to Valtteri’s pace — and I know I am not alone in this opinion.”

However, Hakkinen’s view is also not surprising given that he is involved in Bottas’ management. And as Bottas pushes for the Ferrari seat, one strong argument against the move is that the 25-year-old has been pushed hard in 2015 by Massa — a driver dropped by the famous Italian team two years ago.

Hakkinen responded: “It’s true that you cannot lose against your teammate. However, you also have to consider the level at which Felipe drives. He is a very experienced driver. He spent eight seasons at Ferrari, and in 2008 only missed becoming world champion by a few seconds. He [Massa] is still very fast.”

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This article was originally published on grandprix247.com.