Bottas finally hitting the sweet spot - Wolff

©Mercedes

After struggling with his mount for the better part of 2017, Valtteri Bottas is now in phase with his Silver Arrows says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Wolff admitted that the German outfit's W08 'diva' car has been a difficult proposition this year, and one which Lewis Hamilton has mastered much better than Bottas.

The Finn has slowly but surely come to grips with his mount however, and developed a better understanding of its characteristics, an improvement which has clearly transpired lately with Bottas securing in Abu Dhabi his second successive pole position.

Hamilton praises 'exceptional job' from Bottas

"We have never doubted in Valtteri's raw speed. You could see that again in qualifying," Wolff said.

"The difficulty is the interaction with the tyres and just finding the optimum set up to have the tyre in the sweet spot.

"This is something that has worked much better for Lewis, albeit also very difficult. Valtteri has hit that sweet spot."

Wolff now hopes Bottas can carry his new-found momentum into 2018

"It is important to see that he continues what he does in the first half year, what we have seen in Brazil, what we have seen today, and then it's a no-brainer.

"We like working with Valtteri and with Lewis, the two fit well together. We have good dynamics in the team and no reason to change it if we continue on where we are today," he added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.