Valtteri Bottas will start from the back of the grid on Sunday. This is according to documents released by the FIA on Friday evening. Mercedes has decided to change the engine. Thus, the Finn will get his fourth power unit of the season. The choice of Mercedes is, perhaps, not very strange. The team from Brackley has a high top speed and Monza is in any case a circuit that is ideally suited for overtaking. Bottas gets a new MGU-K, ICE, MGU-H, a new turbocharger and a new exhaust.
Max Verstappen will therefore have to deal with one less Mercedes during the
Italian Grand Prix. Only
Lewis Hamilton and teammate
Sergio Perez are likely to challenge him for victory.
Bottas receives grid penalty