Mercedes after worst possible start: "Don't know exactly what happened yet"

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12 March 2021 at 11:54
Last update 12 March 2021 at 14:05
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  • GPblog.com

The start of the season has been dramatic for Mercedes. Toto Wolff saw Valtteri Bottas come to an early halt due to problems with the gearbox. The Finnish driver managed just six laps. Team boss Wolff is disappointed with the loss of the morning session, although it's not as if Mercedes are completely behind.

"It wasn't a good start because of a gearbox issue that came out of nowhere, which we haven't been able to identify and understand," Wolff told Sky. Speaking to the German medium, the Austrian goes on to state that it's not such a big deal if the next two and a half days go off without a hitch. "If we're able to have a smoother ride from here onwards, I think we can recover.

Lots of bad luck for Bottas

The problems with the transmission, a part of the gearbox, started at 07:45. Almost three hours later, around 10:30, Bottas could continue his journey. Mercedes replaced the whole part instead of repairing it. The 31-year old driver was unlucky that Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari broke down ten minutes before the end. Otherwise, Bottas could have exceeded ten laps.

Bottas has to give up his spot in the afternoon to Lewis Hamilton. This leaves two half days on Saturday and Sunday for Bottas. Hopefully, the W12 will be free of issues by then.