Mercedes yet to 'detect issues' with remaining engines - Bottas

Valtteri Bottas has revealed Mercedes has not "detected any issues" with his remaining power units and hopes to finish the season without incurring more penalties.

The Finn was given a sixth internal combustion engine [ICE] of the year at the United States Grand Prix and subsequently dropped five places on the grid, his third engine penalty in four races.

Despite gaining positions through the race, Bottas was only able to finish sixth from ninth on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas whilst Red Bull secured a second consecutive double podium to reduce the gap in the constructors' standings to 23 points.

With Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insinuating a major doubt over the durability of the engines for the rest of the season, penalties could come back into play but Bottas said: "I really hope we are done for now.

"I think both of the engines that are good in my engine pool are ok, we haven't detected any issues with them so fingers crossed I can go to the end now without penalties.

"The close championship battle, even if you get put back five places, it really compromises the race."

On whether he was being kept in the loop over the engine situation by the team - which he is leaving to join Alfa Romeo at the end of the season - Bottas replied: "Yes.

"I think it has been a question of being a bit more unlucky. Before we took the engine, they have passed all the tests and reliability checks and in theory, they should be ok.

"Just the luck has not been on my side, just more failures and been unlucky. we really hope so that we have now fixed everything but time will show."

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