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  1. #1
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    Bottas - The Mercedes dream

    The Mercedes open secret has come to pass. Valtteri Bottas has finally landed one of the most sought after seats in F1. Bottas whose lacklustre 2016 season has made many wonder if he was going to be as good as Rosberg whom he is replacing, is full of desire and hope of winning races and possibly the driver's title.

    Being on a one year contract, you have to say, Bottas is on the test of his career driving alongside one of the toughest F1 drivers of the hybrid generation. How he measures going toe to toe with the three times world champion would significantly determine his future in F1. An extension of his contract at the end of the 2017 season would be a clear endorsement of his performance. But with loads of A-List drivers coming onto the market for the 2018 season, it would be a real challenge for Bottas to keep his seat in the face of these very credible competition.

    I suppose the question would be, can Bottas be as fast as Rosberg at least. If he can manage that, one could say, his seat is secure beyond 2017. If not, one has to think that a change is going to happen in 2018, bringing about a possibility of a very exciting lineup at Mercedes. Hamilton-Alonso, Hamilton-Vettel, Hamilton-Sainz or Hamilton-Ricciado are just a few mouth watering prospect that may transpire.

    I think Bottas is quick enough to match Rosberg. But can he do that consistently. Then there is the race toughness. Can he be as tough as Rosberg at least to ensure consecutive Mercedes finish; one-two finish or two-three finish etc.

    How do you rate Bottas' chances out of ten to match Rosbergs performance?
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  2. #2
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    Without the car changes, I would probably rate Bottas up there with Nico. But with car changes, how to rate him will really depend on where the Mercedes ends up in terms of the car. If they slip and have to fight with other teams, it's going to be hard to compare him other than to Hamilton. If the car remains dominant similar to this year, I'd fully expect that Bottas is capable of 2nd, and might even challenge Lewis for the title.

  3. #3
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    I've never rated Bottas really highly and I don't think he'll be able to fill Nico's shoes. I think he can be a solid No. 2, à la Barrichello, but nothing more. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong, though.

  4. #4
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    I feel that he is potentially quicker than Rosberg over a lap but maybe a bit more ragged and so not as consistent?

    If Merc are dominant I think he'll be quick enough to challenge Lewis on occasion and will definitely win a few races but Lewis will edge it.
    Would be a fantastic fairytale if he beat Lewis over the season but I doubt it.

    My wet dream would be Lewis vs Max in the same car with no team orders... but that's not going to happen so this will have to do.

  5. #5
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    I Think we will see Hamilton versus Vettel next year. Both with a couple of WDC under their belts.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Rollo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nitrodaze View Post
    I think Bottas is quick enough to match Rosberg. But can he do that consistently. Then there is the race toughness. Can he be as tough as Rosberg at least to ensure consecutive Mercedes finish; one-two finish or two-three finish etc.

    How do you rate Bottas' chances out of ten to match Rosbergs performance?
    Compare Bottas to every other driver to use M-B Power who wasn't driving a Silberpfeil.

    2nds / 3rds - Name

    2 / 7 - Bottas
    1 / 4 - Massa
    1 / 0 - Magnussen
    0 / 4 - Perez
    0 / 1 - Button
    0 / 0 - Hulkenburg

    Over three years, Bottas delivered the most podiums with M-B power; who wasn't in a Silberpfeil.


    "Can he be as tough as Rosberg at least to ensure consecutive Mercedes finish; one-two finish or two-three finish etc."

    Yes.
    The Old Republic was a stupidly run organisation which deserved to be taken over. All Hail Palpatine!

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