Valtteri Bottas eager to see how Mercedes' DAS can help during a race

Mercedes

Bottas eager to see how Mercedes' DAS can help during a race

Mercedes unveiled DAS during pre-season testing

Ian Parkes

Tuesday 16 June 2020 13:56

Valtteri Bottas is itching to finally discover how Mercedes' innovative DAS system can play a part in a Formula 1 grand prix.

Mercedes caused a stir in pre-season testing when it unveiled the dual-axis steering device, but it has yet to see how it fares in a race following the cancellation or postponement of the first 10 events of this campaign.

But with the first race in Austria now looming on July 5, speaking in an F1 Instagram Live interview, Bottas said: "It's an impressive piece of kit, and that's why it is quite easy to operate.

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"To drive it's super safe. You can't accidentally do it. What we've done in the simulator and in testing, we are 100% comfortable with it.

"There's been a lot of debate whether it's legal or not, but we think it is. We still haven't obviously used it in racing circumstances, and we look forward to discovering how it can help us."

Confirming his first taste of DAS in the simulator was an unusual experience, Bottas added: "But then you get used to it, and you get to trust the system."

Bottas and team-mate Lewis Hamilton will naturally be hoping DAS does prove an advantage over what will now be a shortened season of 15-18 races, although only the first eight have been confirmed so far.

Assessing what will be required over those eight races that take place in a 10-week period, Bottas added: "The minimising of every mistake and the maximising of every race weekend is going to be the key because every mistake is going to cost more than in a normal championship with more than 20 races.

"So just consistency, being on it is going to be the key. You need to keep calm, not over-do things, trust your own skills and the team around you. I'm sure we can do that.

"It's an interesting season ahead, with a bit of an unknown after the first eight races how the calendar is going to be, week by week, month by month, so we will see."

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