Valtteri Bottas has been handed a five-place grid penalty by the FIA for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This is a significant blow for the Finn, who on Wednesday expressed his belief that this weekend presented a good opportunity for his first points for Stake F1, also known as Sauber-Audi. The team has brought a new floor for the car.
The penalty is likely to throw a spanner in the works even before a single meter of the race has been driven. Bottas now faces an additional challenge of overtaking, which is usually difficult enough when aiming for the top-10. And this happens precisely on a weekend when the intention was to make the challenge easier, not harder.
The team is still without any points, and there is a fervent desire to change this. The reason for the (initial) optimism is the new floor that the Swiss team has brought to the United States. The chances of success are considered greatest in Las Vegas, which is why the update was chosen for this race.
The necessary replacement of engine parts is a major setback for Bottas. No miracles are expected internally from teammate Guanyu Zhou.
