Valtteri Bottas’ difficult start to the 2021 season is increasing the pressure on the Finns. Sources within the Mercedes team suggest the Finns may not have the full confidence of those at the plant.
A Daily Mail report quoted an unnamed Mercedes source who claimed Bottas was “unable” and highlighted the excellent work Williams driver George Russell did on his substitute appearance for the team in Bahrain last season has done.
Bottas has taken two podiums so far this season, with his two third places taking a DNF in Imola.
The Finn is currently fourth in the drivers’ championship with 32 points.
Significantly, he is a whopping 37 points behind his teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton and 29 points behind Red Bulls Max Verstappen. McLaren driver Lando Norris is also ahead of Bottas in the overall standings with 37 points.
Bottas was perfectly positioned to get back on his feet at Portimao last weekend after taking pole position after an excellent qualifying.
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Tensions between Bottas and Russell escalated at Imola when the couple collided during the race and both men’s hopes for success on the Italian circuit ended.
Russell is considered by many to be the heir to Mercedes. The Williams racing driver, a member of the Mercedes Young Driver Program, is seen as a natural replacement for Bottas in the future.
But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stayed up to date with his plans for his driver line-up in Portimao in 2022, merely saying that he had not yet made a final decision.
“I hope one day I wake up and it becomes clear,” he said.
“I think we have to look into the season to see how the next races develop and then I think it’s a verdict. Not a very scientific answer, but I don’t have one at the moment.”
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