When is Bottas going to show up?
Discussion
Evilex said:
I rate him.
Especially after Mexico ’16 when he returned Raikonnen's favour from Sochi. Had track position, stuck his rear wheel between Kimi's front and rear, stabs brakes and breaks the Ferrari's rear suspension as it rides up over his rear wheel.
Nifty. And by no means an accident.
Hopefully, he'll keep Lewis honest this year, and make him work for whatever he gets.
I think he will be a Massa/Barrichello to Schumacher.Especially after Mexico ’16 when he returned Raikonnen's favour from Sochi. Had track position, stuck his rear wheel between Kimi's front and rear, stabs brakes and breaks the Ferrari's rear suspension as it rides up over his rear wheel.
Nifty. And by no means an accident.
Hopefully, he'll keep Lewis honest this year, and make him work for whatever he gets.
Solid no 2 driver. Moments when he is untouchable. Generally bringing the points home in P2/3.
Vaud said:
I think he will be a Massa/Barrichello to Schumacher.
Solid no 2 driver. Moments when he is untouchable. Generally bringing the points home in P2/3.
I'd like to see him really battle with Lewis, we all know how well Bottes drives, and it'll be interesting to see how he behaves when fighting for first against a strong opponent.Solid no 2 driver. Moments when he is untouchable. Generally bringing the points home in P2/3.
In answer to the question "when will Bottas show up?"
Well when he's in that Merc...... 2nd on grid in Australia will be enough for him as a starter.
No silly little panto angst because he used to race against Lewis when they were kids, just solid Number 2 Patresse, Massa Rubens type giving us a dull 2017 as Lewis romps home to WDC number 4.
Unless Ferrari or Red Bull can do anything....here's praying, but i don't think Toto is worried.
Well when he's in that Merc...... 2nd on grid in Australia will be enough for him as a starter.
No silly little panto angst because he used to race against Lewis when they were kids, just solid Number 2 Patresse, Massa Rubens type giving us a dull 2017 as Lewis romps home to WDC number 4.
Unless Ferrari or Red Bull can do anything....here's praying, but i don't think Toto is worried.
You could have put any of the current F1 drivers in last years Mercedes and they would have been in the top 1-4 in every race.
I'd guess that Bottas in last years car would probably have been 2nd in the Championship.
We wont know until he's had a few races in a top car what he can really do but lets hope he puts on a good show.
I doubt he is at the level of Hamilton/Alonso etc but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outscore Hamilton in a number of races just through hard work and focusing on doing his best, while some weekends his team mate will be noncing about ignoring everyone while playing with his Instagram or whatever he does.
I'd guess that Bottas in last years car would probably have been 2nd in the Championship.
We wont know until he's had a few races in a top car what he can really do but lets hope he puts on a good show.
I doubt he is at the level of Hamilton/Alonso etc but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outscore Hamilton in a number of races just through hard work and focusing on doing his best, while some weekends his team mate will be noncing about ignoring everyone while playing with his Instagram or whatever he does.
rallycross said:
You could have put any of the current F1 drivers in last years Mercedes and they would have been in the top 1-4 in every race.
I'd guess that Bottas in last years car would probably have been 2nd in the Championship.
We wont know until he's had a few races in a top car what he can really do but lets hope he puts on a good show.
I doubt he is at the level of Hamilton/Alonso etc but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outscore Hamilton in a number of races just through hard work and focusing on doing his best, while some weekends his team mate will be noncing about ignoring everyone while playing with his Instagram or whatever he does.
Correct, Bottas has finished 2nd before in a Williams so we know he can do it, clearly 2nd isn't too much of a stretch in the Merc so 2nd in WDC it is then for Bottas. Exciting isn't it..........I'd guess that Bottas in last years car would probably have been 2nd in the Championship.
We wont know until he's had a few races in a top car what he can really do but lets hope he puts on a good show.
I doubt he is at the level of Hamilton/Alonso etc but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outscore Hamilton in a number of races just through hard work and focusing on doing his best, while some weekends his team mate will be noncing about ignoring everyone while playing with his Instagram or whatever he does.
He definitely drifted in to anonymity a little... but he should be in one of the quickest and most reliable cars on the grid this coming season and it will greatly depend on the formula being raced this coming season. He's been touted as having a good feeling for a car and the tyre condition, but the 2017 formula could nullify his prowess in this area.. Maybe the change in the past season or two in the tyre construction has already compromised this part of his driving skill..?
On past performances it would seem that he will challenge for race wins, but only if Lewis has a problem... Which we've just seen.
Ideally for Mercedes they just want their drivers to score as many 1-2s as possible, irrespective of which driver wins.
Either way it would seem to be a good move for him and a beneficial move for Williams as they get some discounts on their engine costs.
As always we won't really know until FP2 or later in Melbourne...
On past performances it would seem that he will challenge for race wins, but only if Lewis has a problem... Which we've just seen.
Ideally for Mercedes they just want their drivers to score as many 1-2s as possible, irrespective of which driver wins.
Either way it would seem to be a good move for him and a beneficial move for Williams as they get some discounts on their engine costs.
As always we won't really know until FP2 or later in Melbourne...
eps said:
He definitely drifted in to anonymity a little... but he should be in one of the quickest and most reliable cars on the grid this coming season and it will greatly depend on the formula being raced this coming season. He's been touted as having a good feeling for a car and the tyre condition, but the 2017 formula could nullify his prowess in this area.. Maybe the change in the past season or two in the tyre construction has already compromised this part of his driving skill..?
On past performances it would seem that he will challenge for race wins, but only if Lewis has a problem... Which we've just seen.
Ideally for Mercedes they just want their drivers to score as many 1-2s as possible, irrespective of which driver wins.
Either way it would seem to be a good move for him and a beneficial move for Williams as they get some discounts on their engine costs.
As always we won't really know until FP2 or later in Melbourne...
Glad you cleared it up for us....On past performances it would seem that he will challenge for race wins, but only if Lewis has a problem... Which we've just seen.
Ideally for Mercedes they just want their drivers to score as many 1-2s as possible, irrespective of which driver wins.
Either way it would seem to be a good move for him and a beneficial move for Williams as they get some discounts on their engine costs.
As always we won't really know until FP2 or later in Melbourne...
eps said:
As always we won't really know until FP2 or later in Melbourne...
Things tend to change a lot in the races following Melbourne too, both between drivers and teams for obvious reasons. I wonder whether Lewis will get his old side of the garage back with his 2014/15 mechanics?
Also, I wonder what it'd do to Lewis mentally if Bottas consistently outperformed him early doors in a completely fair playing field with no mechanicals or botched pit stops?
I haven't read much about this story as I haven't had the time but why are people assuming Bottas will be a number 2 to Hamilton, has it been stated that this is in his contract somewhere.
Lewis is a very talented driver, of that there is little doubt, but lets not forget that he has had quite a machinery advantage for much of his career, Bottas has not. I would expect that if you give Bottas the sniff of his first win you will see fight like you have never seen before from him. He may not be on the pace immediately (So I believe Hamilton will stroll to another championship) but by mid-season I expect he will be giving Hamilton something to think about.
This is all assuming that Mercedes manage to maintain their advantage over the field given the huge changes in the regulations.
Lewis is a very talented driver, of that there is little doubt, but lets not forget that he has had quite a machinery advantage for much of his career, Bottas has not. I would expect that if you give Bottas the sniff of his first win you will see fight like you have never seen before from him. He may not be on the pace immediately (So I believe Hamilton will stroll to another championship) but by mid-season I expect he will be giving Hamilton something to think about.
This is all assuming that Mercedes manage to maintain their advantage over the field given the huge changes in the regulations.
patmahe said:
I haven't read much about this story as I haven't had the time but why are people assuming Bottas will be a number 2 to Hamilton, has it been stated that this is in his contract somewhere.
Lewis is a very talented driver, of that there is little doubt, but lets not forget that he has had quite a machinery advantage for much of his career, Bottas has not. I would expect that if you give Bottas the sniff of his first win you will see fight like you have never seen before from him. He may not be on the pace immediately (So I believe Hamilton will stroll to another championship) but by mid-season I expect he will be giving Hamilton something to think about.
This is all assuming that Mercedes manage to maintain their advantage over the field given the huge changes in the regulations.
Well youre an optimist. Lewis is a very talented driver, of that there is little doubt, but lets not forget that he has had quite a machinery advantage for much of his career, Bottas has not. I would expect that if you give Bottas the sniff of his first win you will see fight like you have never seen before from him. He may not be on the pace immediately (So I believe Hamilton will stroll to another championship) but by mid-season I expect he will be giving Hamilton something to think about.
This is all assuming that Mercedes manage to maintain their advantage over the field given the huge changes in the regulations.
With the massive regulation changes, there's no reason why Bottas can't be on the pace from day 1 - there's very little previous experience of the Mercedes car which can be applied to this coming season - and Bottas already knows the engine and gearbox (?), which seems to be the only consistent part of the package.
HustleRussell said:
I'm an optimist too. I think that Bottas might learn how to deal with Hamilton's mind games quicker than Rosberg did, and by the summer break will be challenging Hamilton in race weekends to a similar degree Rosberg has over the past three seasons.
Is there any need to though? There was this panto stuff around Nicewis, they raced as kids, blond blue eyed German (but not) rich boy, against the street kid from Stevenage.There is absolute none of that with Bottas, he's very quiet very 'safe' bar few scrapes, he's just happy to be there and willing to play it safe to hopefully keep the seat at a factory team.
He'd be mad to go around big talking stuff or fighting Lewis on track, it would be suicide. He has nothing to prove this season other than just keep it clean on the black stuff and get points and 2nd's and wait for the chance for a win or 2. Job done.
HustleRussell said:
tommunster10 said:
Bottas, he's very quiet very 'safe' bar few scrapes, he's just happy to be there and willing to play it safe to hopefully keep the seat at a factory team.
Is that a fact 
You think honestly he's going to be some dashing James Hunt type suddenly now he's at Merc and gunning for Lewis and th WDC?? Ok.....
Toto said himself pretty much why they chose Bottas, aside from lack of other options, he's 'safe'.
tommunster10 said:
No Mr Rollyeyes it isn't, can you please point to where i said it was?
You think honestly he's going to be some dashing James Hunt type suddenly now he's at Merc and gunning for Lewis and th WDC?? Ok.....
Toto said himself pretty much why they chose Bottas, aside from lack of other options, he's 'safe'.
He kept his head down and got on with the job whilst driving an underperforming car that was never in a position to challenge for the WDC.You think honestly he's going to be some dashing James Hunt type suddenly now he's at Merc and gunning for Lewis and th WDC?? Ok.....
Toto said himself pretty much why they chose Bottas, aside from lack of other options, he's 'safe'.
This year he has every chance of being in a championship winning car and so I think there's damn good chance he'll be challenging Lewis from the start.
agreed Bobbo, Bottas will want to demonstrate ASAP that he is worthy of an extension on his measly one year contract so that Merecedes aren't inclined to sign a budget-busting superstar driver for 2018 and risk upsetting the apple cart all over again. I very much doubt he will be... tommunster10 said:
just happy to be there and willing to play it safe to hopefully keep the seat at a factory team.
Like any red-blooded driver would he will simply want to beat his team mate without crashing into him. Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff