(Mercedes AMG F1 Team)
Williams Martini Racing's Valtteri Bottas believes that the impending ban on FRIC (Forward and Rear Interconnected) suspensions which comes into force from the next race, the German Grand Prix next weekend could have a detrimental effect on the dominance of the Mercedes AMG F1 Team who have performed exceptionally well in the opening Grand Prix of the season which see's the team leading both the Drivers and Constructors championship.
The FIA issued a technical directive to the team's that states that the FRIC system will be banned from the next race onwards and that any team found using the system will be referred to the race stewards. When asked whether or not Mercedes could suffer with the ban Bottas stated:
'Yes! Maybe some teams could be more affected than us, I would say. For some teams yes [it is an issue] but not for some others. We will see, I don't really know what is going to happen, we will see. Whatever the decision is we will be OK with it, I don't think it's going to be the key for the season or anything like that.'
Bottas went on to speak Williams recent form which has seen the Grove based outfit score back to back podiums in Austria and last time out at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The Finn, who is up to 5th in the drivers championship on 73 points, three ahead of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel and 14 behind Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in fourth place. Bottas said:
'It's tough to say, Mercedes still has so much more pace than us. I think Austria was a different thing but for example at Silverstone, no matter what we would have done with strategy, second place was the absolute maximum so we would also need some luck to be ahead of them. This season it's going to be difficult but you never know.'
© Ben Johnston 2014
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