Bottas missed FP2: Here's what the problem was

Valtteri Bottas was unable to drive on behalf of Alfa Romeo during FP2. As a result, the Finn missed out on precious time, as he was unable to even drive on a dry track in the run-up to the sprint race.

Safety cage

Alfa Romeo's mechanics were busy working on Bottas' car during the session, who had not even put on his racing clothes. It has since become clear why the former Mercedes driver could not participate. His team had to change the safety cage in which Bottas sits while driving.

The exhaust problem on Bottas car in Q3 caused some heat damage to the gearbox, the wiring loom and the floor. Fitting a new wiring loom in a chassis is very complicated. So Alfa decided to change the chassis (without breaking any seals). Therefore, the FIA had given permission to change it in Bottas' car.

Technical problems

Alfa Romeo stands out this season because of its speed, but also because of its technical problems. Bottas came to a standstill during qualifying for the umpteenth time this season. Despite this, he will start from eighth place this afternoon once the repairs have been completed.