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Mercedes' Valtterri Bottas has admitted that reliability issues could play a key role in the championship in 2017 as he is beginning to prove himself as a threat to rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. As it stands, Bottas lies in third in the Drivers' Championship and is the most in-form driver on the grid after claiming five consecutive podiums going into the summer break. This leaves him only 19 points away from Hamilton who is 14 points away from Vettel.
As the championship is so close and because everything is still to play for, Bottas has become nervous of grid penalties caused by reliability issues and is worried that they may play a part in the championship. The Finn has already been a victim of such penalties this season after being demoted five places at the British Grand Prix because of an unscheduled gearbox change while Hamilton was penalised one week earlier at Austria with the same issue.
"These are the rules," said Bottas when asked about the situation. "We all have to complete the season with a certain number of mechanical parts. If a team gets too greedy, you’ll need to change some parts more often and you pay a penalty. It’s true the penalty affects the driver as much as the team, but both lose quite a few points, potentially.
"For me it is what it is," he replied when asked if the penalisation of drivers for reliability issues was fair. "That’s a good point as it’s definitively penalising the drivers," he concluded. "And this year it can really affect the championship fight. But those are the rules now and everyone is driving within the same rules, so it’s okay."
While Mercedes and Red Bull Racing has fallen victim to penalties, Ferrari has avoided similar setbacks although both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have both used more turbochargers than their rivals, increasing their risk of receiving a penalty with nine races to go this season which could shift the championship into the favour of the Silver Arrows
Chris Soulsby
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Replies (3)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Oh it will, but it shouldnt necessarily be a concern for Bottas. Or Hamilton, for that matter. Looking at spent PU components, it certainly looks like Mercedes are the favourites, both Vettel and Kimi are on their limits in terms of turbochargers. The only thing that could screw Mercedes over this year reliabilitywise, unless their luck would somehow run out, are their gearboxes, and the same could happen to Ferrari.
RogerF1
Posts: 501
Most certainly it will just depends how high up the leader board it gets.
f1dave
Posts: 782
They already have !