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Brilliant Bottas races ahead

March 20 - 26, 2019
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Gulf Weekly Brilliant Bottas races ahead

ValtTeri Bottas can’t really explain how he got from playing the loyal lieutenant to Lewis Hamilton and failing to win a race last season, to upstaging his Mercedes teammate for victory in Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

A lot of soul-searching over the winter break and some rally car driving helped transform Bottas’ approach to racing in 2019, with an immediate and profound result.

The 29-year-old Finn surged from second on the grid to beat five-time world champion Hamilton to the first corner, and stayed in front of his teammate the whole way on Sunday to win by 20.886 seconds. It was his fourth GP title, and first since 2017.

Bottas also picked up the bonus point for the fastest lap, which has been reintroduced to F1 for the first time in six decades, to collect 26 championship points for the weekend.

“This feels so good – I don’t think I’ve ever had a race like this,” said Bottas, who finished the 58-lap race in 1 hour, 25 minutes, 27.325 seconds.

“We could not have asked for a better start to the season – getting maximum points for the team is a perfect result and we couldn’t be happier.

“It’s also an important result for me personally, I’m really pleased with how the race went. These things don’t just happen – both the team and I have worked hard for this and it seems like the hard work paid off.

“The key was the start; I think Lewis may have had a bit of wheel spin, so I was able to take the lead. My race pace was really strong, I could pull away and build a gap. In the end, I managed to get the fastest lap as well, which, of course, means an extra point this season, so I went for it.

“It can be a little risky with worn tyres, but I had it all under control. I’m very, very pleased but it’s only the first race and we have another 20 to go.” 

Albert Park was previously one of Bottas’ least-preferred circuits, he started 10th last year and his previous best result was a third-place finish in 2017, but now it’s among his favourites.

Max Verstappen was closing in on Hamilton toward the end but had to settle for third, 1.634 seconds further back in his Red Bull.

One of the biggest surprises was how far back the Ferraris were, particularly after being the quickest cars in testing.

Two-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel started from third but was overtaken on the outside by Verstappen on the 30th lap and finished fourth, one spot ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.

“I had to beat Seb to get onto the podium, which is not easy around here,” Verstappen said. “Happy to pull that move off – then challenging for second.

“To start the season on the podium, challenging the Mercedes in front of me, it’s a really good start to the season.”

Worryingly for Ferrari, four-time world champion Vettel was 35 seconds behind Verstappen’s Red Bull, and Leclerc had a few driver errors on his first weekend with the team.

Kevin Magnussen was sixth for Haas, Nico Hulkenberg placed seventh for Renault and 2007 world champion, the 39-year-old Kimi Raikkonen, placed eighth in first drive for Alfa Romeo Racing.

Hamilton, who won pole position for the sixth successive year and eighth time overall in Melbourne, again had to settle for second. “It was a good weekend for Mercedes,” Hamilton said. “Valtteri did an exceptional job today - congratulations to him.

“I had a pretty straightforward race today; I lost position at the start and my race was pretty much done and dusted after the first corner. Afterwards it was really about bringing the car home and bagging the points. I’ll bag the eighteen points I got today, keep working and come back recharged for the next one in Bahrain.”

Three drivers failed to finish, with local hope Daniel Ricciardo getting into trouble moments after leaving the grid when he tried to overtake while charging to the first corner and losing the front wing of his new Renault.

Robert Kubica was the last of 17 drivers who finished, but was content to get his first drive back in F1 since 2010 over and done with. He missed eight seasons because of a serious right hand injury sustained in a rallying crash but is back with Williams in 2019.

Bottas last season faded to finish fifth in the championship after a combination of mechanical problems and team instructions meant he didn’t win a GP. He was ordered to concede to Hamilton while in good position in Russia, but he’s back on level terms now.

“We’re all here starting a new season,” he said. “Both me and Lewis will want to fight this season, for sure, against each other, and against everyone.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he’d noticed a change in Bottas’ attitude, and is expecting big things this season. “Over the winter, he recharged the batteries, reset, found his joy of driving again with the rally in Finland – then today it all came together for him,” said Wolff. “I expect Valtteri to be the strongest this year, the strongest Valtteri we’ve seen.”

Bottas couldn’t pinpoint exactly what changed in his preparation, but is harnessing the energy regardless. “It’s difficult to explain, honestly, what’s been going on inside my head,” he said. “Definitely something changed in terms of the way I feel about things – in life in general, and in racing.”







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