Friday 15 / November / 2024
Muscat: Valtteri Bottas upset fellow Mercedes Grand Prix champ Lewis Hamilton to win the season opening Australian GP on Sunday, March 17.
He attributed his 20.08 second win to his team’s decision of delaying a tyre change.
Bottas started at the second position behind Hamilton but quickly got the pole position after his fellow Mercedes driver messed up in the first few moments of the race.
Bottas' last win was in Abu Dhabi in 2017.
“I don’t know what just happened. The start was very good, it was definitely my best race ever,” the 29-year-old, Finnish driver said after the win. “I’m just so happy and can’t wait for the next race,” he continued.
Despite suffering a setback, fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who has won 73 different GP’s, said: “It is a good weekend for the team. Valtteri drove really well today."
