Valtteri Bottas has said that Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport maximised what they could do in difficult conditions yesterday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
For the second day running in the first Formula 1 winter test, Bottas clocked the second fastest time – the only change was the man ahead of him; Aston Martin Red Bull Racing‘s Daniel Ricciardo made way for Scuderia Ferrari‘s Sebastian Vettel on Tuesday.
Through Monday morning and the whole of Tuesday, Bottas managed 152 laps for Mercedes, with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton taking responsibility on Monday afternoon.
Bottas explained the challenges behind testing in conditions barely above freezing, saying that the tyres are inadequate for the scenario.
“It was very cold on track today,” said Bottas. “I don’t think I’ve ever driven in such cold conditions before in Formula 1.
“Testing is always difficult in these temperatures, the tyres are just not made for these conditions.”
However, the Finn was satisfied with the work done as Mercedes focussed on understanding the aerodynamics of the new W09 EQ Power+, moving on to longer stints in the afternoon before snow prematurely stopped serious running.
“We made the most out of the day,” Bottas added.
“In the morning, we focused on aero work with different aero rakes on the car, running various tests. In the afternoon, I was doing long runs and we also worked on the set-up.
“It was quite tricky in these temperatures, but we managed to get some work done and found some answers to our testing items.”
Due to heavy snowfall overnight, the start of Wednesday’s test session has been delayed, but Bottas is hopeful that the weather will improve by the first test’s final day on Thursday.
“The weather is obviously unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do about it and it’s the same conditions for everyone.
“In these conditions, I would say today was a good day. I hope that the weather is going to get better soon and I’m looking forward to tomorrow and Thursday.”
