Bottas also confident Mercedes have solved testing engine glitches; Watch the season-opening Australian GP on Sky F1 this weekend
Thursday 12 March 2020 09:44, UK
Valtteri Bottas expects Mercedes to use their innovative Dual-Axis Steering system in the Australian GP.
But the Finn revealed they will evaluate the 'risk' of running it amid speculation that rivals may attempt to protest against the device during the race weekend.
The unique movable steering system on the W11 - which Mercedes believe is legal after running the concept by the FIA last year - proved the talk of winter testing, with the drivers able to adjust the toe of the front tyres by moving the wheel towards them down the straight.
"For sure we'll be 'DAS-ing' on some of the straights," confirmed Bottas in Melbourne.
"It depends which kind of laps, which sessions and so on. But we are still happy to have it in the car and we hope it can give advantage. We'll see."
Put to him that other teams might launch a protest if it is used, Bottas replied: "We have to wait what happens. Like I said earlier, we would be happy to run it, but it is up to the team to come up with [the] possible risk of it being taken away. Yes, we would like to keep it, but if there's a big risk we won't. There is no big drama there."
Mercedes confident of reliability improvements
DAS or no DAS, F1's six-time champions arrive in Melbourne on the back of a productive fortnight of winter testing when they set the pace and completed the most laps.
But the six days of Barcelona running were not without their hiccups: the team hit power-unit trouble on both the W11 and the customer units run by Williams.
Bottas, though, believes they have used the short time since testing to fix the glitches.
"We made the most out of testing. Everything does not run 100 per cent and you to do find things that can be better between testing to the first race," said the Finn, the winner in Melbourne last year.
"With engine issues, we've looked into those and have done everything we can to make sure we can run as much power as we can with good reliability.
"I feel confident. I really trust the team on that."
