Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas fears that Ferrari will enjoy an enormous advantage in China due to their superior straight-line speed.

The Chinese Grand Prix and the following race in Azerbaijan represent high-power circuits, and Bottas believes the team must work hard to neutralise what has been claimed as Ferrari’s secret to their pace – their speed on the straights.

The Silver Arrows comfortably outperformed their rivals in Australia with Bottas taking the win and leading a Mercedes one-two, before they completed another one-two in Bahrain, but only because of Charles Leclerc’s engine issues.

Mercedes had been soundly beaten for pace by the Scuderia throughout the weekend, and Bottas expects that “massive gain” in straight-line speed to help Ferrari on a track that features one of the longest straights on the calendar.