13/05/2017
NEWS STORY
Sochi winner Valtteri Bottas missed much of this morning's practice session following a number of issues.
Having discovered an electrical issue following yesterday's practice sessions, Mercedes opted to break the curfew and work through the night changing the engine on Valtteri Bottas' car.
However, it was subsequently discovered that the replacement unit had a water leak and as a result the German team opted to revert to the engine the Finn used in the opening four races of the season, including his win in Russia.
The hectic schedule meant that the Finn only appeared for the final ten minutes of FP3, nonetheless he was soon on the pace, posting the fourth best time of the morning.
With teams forbidden on working through the night as a result of an 8 hour curfew, each team is allowed two exceptions over the course of the season. This was the first of Mercedes exceptions.