Following Lewis Hamilton’s revelation that he would prefer to see data sharing between team-mates end in Formula 1, his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas agrees with the Brit, and feels it may ultimately benefit the team.
Hamilton believes it should be the responsibility of each driver to find the ideal set-up, and would welcome the sharing of information be outlawed, and Finnish driver Bottas, who has switched to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2017 in place of the retired Nico Rosberg, is somewhat in agreement.
However, Bottas believes it will not be halted, with Mercedes likely to keep the practice in play in order to maximise their chances of victory, especially with the Constructors’ Championship a key target for the team.
“If it would be [banned], I wouldn’t mind personally,” admitted Bottas to Read Motorsport. “If I were only thinking of myself, but for the team it would be better.
“It doesn’t matter what I would say for this, because the team is going to decide what we are going to do. That is mostly likely to share the data because it is best for the team.
“I’m sure that every single day on track, there will be occasions both drivers can find something interesting out from the data of a team-mate. So that is the reason and that will push the team forward, so that’s why I don’t think it will be banned.”