Flying start puts Bottas on track for a tilt at title
Valtteri Bottas may not ‘ want to shout about it’ but he roared into title contention with a commanding victory at yesterday’s austrian Grand Prix.
Driving for the same Mercedes team as Britain’s lewis Hamilton, Bottas kept the charging sebastian Vettel at bay in the closing stages at the red Bull ring to take his second win of the season and move 35 points behind the leader in the drivers’ championship.
Hamilton’s sights have been fixed on Vettel so far. But the Briton’s fourth place here forces him to look in his mirrors — where Bottas is looming large.
the Finn is only 15 points behind Hamilton with 11 races to go. ‘i don’t want to shout about it too much but with the points i have i know i’m in the championship fight for sure,’ said Bottas, 27.
‘i’m developing so much every race and feel like i’m really getting better all the time.’
little was expected of Bottas when Mercedes handed him a 12-month contract following world champion Nico rosberg’s sudden departure last November. But on yesterday’s evidence, team boss toto Wolff must surely move quickly to secure his services long-term.
Hamilton confirmed Bottas as a genuine contender. ‘there was never a point when he wasn’t in the fight,’ said Hamilton. ‘i always assumed he was and this just shows he still is.’
Bottas’ rapid reaction at the race start set the Finn flying on the way to victory. His reaction time when the lights went out was less than a quarter of a second — so quick, in fact, that fellow front- rower Vettel was convinced he had jumped the gun.
informed of the reaction time, the Ferrari driver replied: ‘i don’t believe that. i was pretty sure he jumped it.’
replays showed Bottas inching forward before the last light had gone out. But the Fia governing body said any movement was ‘within the tolerances allowed.’
Bottas confirmed he had nailed it. ‘it was the best start of my life,’ he said. the grandstands around the red Bull ring were a sea of orange courtesy of Max Verstappen’s 10,000-strong travelling army of Dutch fans. But their hopes were extinguished before the teenager had reached the first corner.
Daniil Kvyat failed to stop in time for the opening right-hander and went into the back of Fernando alonso, who in turn collected Verstappen. Both retired.
at the front of the race, after starting seventh on the grid, Hamilton finished fourth, having thought he had passed Daniel ricciardo for third on the penultimate lap. But he failed to make the move stick at turn four as the australian claimed his fifth consecutive top-three finish.
‘Maybe if i’d been more aggressive i would have been ahead,’ said Hamilton. ‘But Daniel defended his position really well. i don’t think i could have done better.’
since winning in Canada a month ago, Hamilton has finished fifth in azerbaijan and fourth here. ‘i don’t think i need to do anything different,’ he said. ‘i just have to keep driving the way i have been and hope things get better.’
His boss, Wolff, sympathised: ‘He has not had a great time recently. When you are so competitive it feels really s*** after a day like this, but it was damage limitation.’