Valtteri Bottas admitted that he has “lost count on how many set-up items” that Mercedes tried on the simulator over the last few weeks.
Mercedes won the opening race of the 2021 Formula 1 season in Bahrain with Lewis Hamilton, but are still looking for answers to “unlock” the full performance of the W12.
Red Bull beat the reigning champions to pole position by four tenths of a second in Bahrain and team principal Toto Wolff said earlier this week that the Milton Keynes team have the edge at the moment.
Bottas, who finished third in Bahrain, has been at the simulator in Brackley during the three-week break between Bahrain and Imola, and said the team have a “good toolbox to choose from”.
“I actually went between the races to Brackley, to the simulator, tried to work on the set-up, trying to find answers, trying to help the team as much as I can really and unlock the performance,” he said. “I lost count on how many set-up items we tried in the simulator.
“But at least coming here, I think we have a good toolbox to choose from.
“But it’s not like a couple of years ago, that you could go in all the time and for few days in a row, etc.
“Within the restrictions, within the situation, we’re trying to make most out of it, and it’s same for the team. They are really restricted on the development time.
“So, efficiency, and planning is really the key. I’m really keen to see what this year is going to bring to us and how it’s gonna end up, it’s a really exciting year ahead.”