Bojan Vrbnjak
Engine replacements in Sochi continue and Valtteri Bottas is the next racer to move backwards on the starting line of today’s race. Mercedes Fincu changed the engine for the second time in a row, but only the engine was replaced with internal combustion, got a penalty of ten places and since he finished the qualifications in seventh place, he will start the race as 17th.
Because it is Bottas, as said, one way or another in the qualifiers ranked only on seventh place, Mercedes decided before the race to replace its internal combustion engine again. Probably - we can say that for sure - this has to do with starting the race before Max Verstappn and hinder him as much as possible so that his teammate can Hamilton had an easier job and that the Dutchman would not get more points. As we know, he will be a racer Red Bull Racing together with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari and Nicholas Latifi from Williams started the race from scratch.
And it is obvious Mercedes thought it better to Verstappen in the hunt for points winners places a moving obstacle in the form Bottas. Interesting that it is Toto wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, said after the qualifiers yesterday: “At Valtteri, we think about certain strategic decisions, which could be the fastest and best strategy for the race for him.“Well, if that’s the best and fastest strategy for Bottas, is another question.
Mercedes was considering replacing the engine at Lewis Hamilton, which starts today's race as the fourth. He will almost certainly have to s penalize the mark-up of cities due to a change of engine later in the season, the Briton will also face it, so it is surprising that they did not do that here when the track in Sochi racing car Mercedesa literally painted on the skin. Will have in the end Helmut Marko just by his anticipation that he will Mercedes the engine changed on the track that will respond Red Bullu?
