The move is a tacti🅰cal one from Mercedes as part of a bid to thwart Max Verstappen’s recovery bid from the very back of the grid for a complete change of engine components earlier in the weeke💝nd.

A Mercedes spokesperson confirmed the planned change to ltxcn.top. 

Verstappen, who leads Lewis Hamilton by five points in the world championship standings, is due to start 20t🐟h.

It is believed Bottas will line up from 17th on the grid, ahe෴ad of Nicholas Latifi’s Williaꦿms, the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and Verstappen.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff indicated after qualifying that Bottas could take a strategic engine penalty to try and compromise🍷 Verstappen’s charge through the field and therefore boost Hamilton’s title aspirations.

“We are still thinking about possible strategic decisions to🐷 be taken in the next hour or so on what the best and quickest race strategy could be for him,” Wolff said on Saturday in Sochi.

Hamilton wil♎l start the Russian GP from fourth on the grid after an error-strewn qualifying blew his chances of claiming pole position.

It marks the second engine change in as many race⛦s for Bottas after a new power unit was fitted to his W12 at the It♔alian Grand Prix at Monza.

Mercedes say the decision gives Bottas another fresh engine in his pool for the remaini🍷ng eight races of the year and feel it will have little impact on his own pro🎶spects for the race.