Valtteri Bottas suggests Mercedes aren’t favourites to win the French Grand Prix. The event returns at the coming weekend for the first time in 10 years.
The Silver Arrows number two driver is that confident Mercedes aren’t favourites to win the race, he calls it a “fact”. Mercedes drivers will get the engine upgrades which were due to arrive in Canada but were delayed.
“It’s a different Grand Prix, different kind of tyres and it’s positive we’re going to have the new engine, which we would have needed [in Canada] to win the race,” Bottas told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully we can have some other upgrades as well on the car because every team is developing now race by race and the competition is getting tougher.”
The German team are still at the top of the constructors' championship, but that lead has been cut to 17 points after losing out in Monaco and Canada.
“We came [to Canada] with even the old engine thinking there’s a very good chance we’re going to be fighting for the win,” added Bottas.
“But it wasn’t the case, and it shows how tough the development race is now, and we need to keep improving. We are definitely not the favourites for the French Grand Prix, that’s a fact.”