Bottas hit with grid penalty following gearbox change!

©WRI2

Valtteri Bottas won't be starting the Japanese Grand Prix on the first two rows on Sunday following a gearbox change at Mercedes which automatically entails a five-spot grid penalty.

The Finn clocked in fifth in the morning's dry free practice session but a problem was later diagnosed with his W08's transmission in the German camp.

As the unit did not complete the required six consecutive races, its premature replacement necessarily means a grid drop.

Bottas, who has struggled in the past few races on a relative basis compared to team mate Lewis Hamilton, will subsequently start another race on the back foot.

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