Valtteri Bottas' hopes of making it back-to-back wins in the British Grand Prix have been dealt a blow after a gearbox change on his Mercedes landed hi📖m a five-place grid penalty.

The Finn - a winner last week in Austria - looked on fine form around Silverstone as he topped both FP1 and FP2 ah🌳ead of Lewis Hamilton, but he will now face a task to maintain his im🔴pressive momentum from a possible grid high of sixth on Sunday.

It is the second ge🐬arbox change for a Mercedes driver in as many races after Hamilton suffered a similar fate. On that occasion the Briton started eighth and finish💎ed fourth, though Silverstone arguably presents better overtaking opportunities compared with the Red Bull Ring.

Bottas has scored m♒ore points than any other driver in the last 4 events, picking up a fourth in Monaco, second places in Canada and Baku before winning in Austria.

He is 35 points adrift of S🥃ebastian Vettel in the overall standings, wi🌌th Hamilton 15 points ahead.