Valtteri Bottas says a DRS problem caused him to spin off at high speed during Friday practice for the Mexican Grand Prix.
During FP2, Bottas lost control of the rear of his Williams under braking for Turn 1, swiping the nose off the car against the wall on the outside of the track before coming to a halt in the run-off area. While cars are already down on downforce due to the altitude in Mexico City, Bottas says a DRS problem led to him hitting the wall.
"The rear wing stalled," Bottas said. "When I braked and the DRS closed the rear wing stalled so it was like the DRS was still open and I had no rear downforce. We made some modifications to the rear wing level and in the end it was OK."
While grip levels were very low on Friday, Bottas says it provides a good challenge as there are areas where a slight mistake is punished heavily.
"The second sector, the Esses, between Turns 7 and 10 [are hardest] because they were really slippery. Because we don’t have so much downforce, it’s difficult to get them right. And if you go deep in one of those corners that lap is gone."
With Nico Rosberg's rear brakes catching fire during FP1, Bottas says Williams is not facing any similar problems.
"I think it will be difficult for the brakes but we’re not suffering from any problems, so far. I think it’s one of the hardest tracks for the brakes but we should be OK."
AS IT HAPPENED: Mexican Grand Prix FP2
Eric Silbermann's Mexican grumpy preview
Technical analysis: United States
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