After the tough weekend in Imola, Valtteri Bottas claims there is a lot to learn about W12. Thus they can put on a fight against their rival, Red Bull in the upcoming Portugal race.
Bottas couldn’t shine at the Italian circuit and even got disqualified from Emilia Romagna GP, after a massive crash with Williams’ George Russell. Meanwhile, Bottas’s teammate Lewis Hamilton finished P2 at Imola. However, Mercedes couldn’t dominate Red Bull in the race and Max Verstappen won the race with ease.
The 31-year-old Finn believes there is still a lot to know about their 2021 challenger, and further developments can improve the performance of W12. Only two races out of 23 are over, thus Mercedes still have a lot of time in hand to pace out the Austrian rival.
Valtteri Bottas claims there is a lot to learn about the Mercedes W12 in the 2021 Formula One.
Bottas reported in an interview, “I still believe that we can catch them. I still believe in the feeling in the car that there is more to unlock. If we can get the balance right, if we can make the car easier to drive, with an understanding of the tuning, there is more to come.”
“Twenty-three races is a long time to learn about the package we have and that just means that we need to be more efficient than the other teams. We know that Red Bull is good at developing within the season, but we just need to overcome it.” The Mercedes (77) driver added.
What is next for Valtteri Bottas?
Bottas showcased some wonderful driving at the season-opener in Shakir, finishing third and also claiming an extra point for the fastest lap. However, the Bottas failed to do so at the Imola because of his accident. Currently, the Finnish driver ranks P5 with 16 points, whereas his teammate Hamilton aces the table with 44 points. Further, both the drivers contributed 60 points to their team, resulting in Mercedes taking the lead of 2021 Constructor Standings ahead of Red Bull.
Therefore, the Brackley outfit needs to gear up its technology to maintain the lead in 2021. Even the Finn needs to pull up his socks otherwise he won’t be able to put on a neck-to-neck fight against Red Bull or even his teammate Hamilton. However, the biggest trouble for the German constructor at the moment is the expenses to repair Bottas’s damaged car, which might affect their budget for W12’s upgrades.
The Mercedes W12 of Valtteri Bottas was heavily damaged after the crash with George Russell from Williams Racing at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
Valtteri Bottas is revving up with his team at Brackley for the upcoming Portugal Grand Prix on Sunday, May 02. Further, the 31-year-old Finn might again stand on the podium along with his British teammate in Portugal. However, the Milton Keynes outfit will be a constant threat for Mercedes at the third race.
