Bottas explains Belgian F1 GP ‘numb leg’ problem

Valtteri Bottas has shed light on the numbness he felt while driving during last weekend's Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.

Bottas complained over team radio about it mid-way through the race in Belgium: "I have this issue with numbness on my left leg from the brakes."

Speaking in Thursday’s press conference, Bottas revealed he had suffered the same numbness during his first year with Mercedes back in 2017.

“Actually I had [it], in 2017, the year I joined the team, but that issue was more from the seat, with some numbness here and there, in some pressure points,” Bottas said. “But we’ve been able to improve, of course. Even in the previous years, sometimes, there were some issues, so it’s not like these things happen magically, they really happen because of the pressure of the G-forces.”

Mercedes technical chief James Allison said in the team’s post-race debrief on YouTube that it is looking to make changes to make Bottas more comfortable while driving, but the Finn confirmed no alterations have been made for this weekend.

“The team is on it, Bottas added. “They always listen very carefully to what we have to say when it comes to driver comfort, so they’re definitely on it. I think there’s nothing been done yet, there’s definitely work to be done on that, so let’s hope the weekend goes OK. 

“I don’t know the exact timings yet, but I’m sure we can do something to help the driver comfort. We obviously spend quite a lot of time driving the car, so you want everything to be perfect. It’s still drivable, but the point is it can be better.”

Bottas is currently third in the drivers’ championship, 50 points behind Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.