Breaking news
Formula 1
Bottas, Mercedes have "taken measures" to prevent bad starts
Valtteri Bottas says Mercedes has taken a host of measures - including removing the clutch he used at Barcelona from its pool - in a bid to prevent a repeat of the start issues that have cost him this year.
Jonathan Noble Adam Cooper
Edited: May 22, 2019, 3:22 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Finn has twice this season lost his pole position advantage on the run to the first corner, having had troubled starts in both the Chinese and Spanish Grands Prix.
While the problem in Shanghai was believed to have been triggered by his rear wheels spinning on the white painted start-finish line, the issue in Spain was felt to be more down to an inconsistent clutch.
Bottas says that the team has decided to remove his Spanish GP clutch from the pool that he will use this season, as well as making some changes to its systems to avoid further troubles.
It is understood Mercedes normally replaces the clutches after every other race, meaning that Bottas would have kept his Spain clutch for Monaco. However, the start problem in Barcelona means he will take a replacement one early.
Reflecting on the Spanish GP investigation, Bottas said: "We went through all the details and things we can improve from my side and the team's side as usual, and we can see the cause of it.
"For sure that clutch physically is out from the pool, but there were also things on the control side in that unfortunate moment, with just being on the grip limit allowed some hesitation and variation on the clutch torque.
"We have taken measures to prevent that. Hopefully it will not happen again and we move on."
Bottas is heading into this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with his best ever chance of ending a jinx he's suffered at a track which has proved to be one of the least successful for him throughout his career.
He has finished only fourth and fifth on his two previous Monaco outings with Mercedes in 2017 and 2018, having qualified third and fifth.
He failed to make the points on his three earlier outings with Williams, with a best of 12th place, even in years when the car was a podium challenger elsewhere.
The only current tracks where he has a worse record are Austin, where he has scored a best finish of fifth place on three occasions, and Paul Ricard, where he recovered to seventh after a first lap incident on his sole French GP outing in 2018. He has logged at least one career podium at every other circuit.
"I feel never in my Formula 1 career I had a good car in Monaco," said Bottas when asked about his prospects by Motorsport.com. "It's such a unique track. You need a very special car in terms of how it works mechanically in Monaco, with all those the walls and bumps and everything. So it's a question mark how we are going to perform there.
"But from Barcelona in sector three with slow corners it's promising. But you never know there, there's many different things that affect over there, getting the tyres to work and everything. But I would just hope that we have a good car there, because it would be such a unique race to be fighting for the win, or win it.
"Actually I've never been on the podium there, so it's something I really look forward to, and something I will definitely focus 100% of the weekend for the qualifying performance, and being absolutely on it in qualifying three."
Bottas at Monaco
2014 (Williams): Q14, P12
2015 (Williams): Q13, Retired - engine
2016 (Williams): Q17, P14
2017 (Mercedes): Q3, P4
2018 (Mercedes): Q5, P5
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Sutton Images
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ricciardo says he's having "positive influence" on Renault
Next article Red Bull removes nose duct for Monaco GP
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Valtteri Bottas
Unwell Kimi Antonelli skips F1 Mexico GP media day
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Unwell Kimi Antonelli skips F1 Mexico GP media day
Yet another DNF for Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas: ‘Sometimes we don’t quite understand it’
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Yet another DNF for Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas: ‘Sometimes we don’t quite understand it’
You Ask The Questions: Valtteri Bottas
Formula 1
Canadian GP
You Ask The Questions: Valtteri Bottas
More from
Mercedes
Why “ignorance is a superpower” for Kimi Antonelli, according to Daniel Ricciardo
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
21 h
Why “ignorance is a superpower” for Kimi Antonelli, according to Daniel Ricciardo
George Russell predicts key Ferrari "advantage" at F1 Mexican GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
George Russell predicts key Ferrari "advantage" at F1 Mexican GP
Latest news
Marc Marquez explains low-risk strategy after extending MotoGP points lead in Malaysia sprint
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
10 min
Marc Marquez explains low-risk strategy after extending MotoGP points lead in Malaysia sprint
Jack Miller explains pitlane outburst: "We look like w***ers"
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
46 min
Jack Miller explains pitlane outburst: "We look like w***ers"
Isack Hadjar summoned to Mexico GP stewards for "misconduct" in F1 paddock
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
58 min
Isack Hadjar summoned to Mexico GP stewards for "misconduct" in F1 paddock
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Pedro Acosta beats Marc Marquez in tense sprint
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
3 h
MotoGP Malaysian GP: Pedro Acosta beats Marc Marquez in tense sprint
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe