WATCH: Former Mercedes F1 Teammates Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas Share a Moment After First Race Apart

With new rules, regulations, and designs, after a few years of development and testing, the fans are expecting bigger battles closer to the front than ever before. And the Bahrain GP showed exactly that. Ferrari finished 1-2, but there were few surprises on the grid, including Valtteri Bottas finishing the race with 8 points. The Finn started on P6 after an impressive qualifying and finished in the same position.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished P3, much to the delight of the Mercedes fans. Red Bull’s disastrous evening aided them, but they will take the result with both hands. Hamilton and his former teammate Bottas were side by side when the lights sent out and they also shared a moment when the race ended.

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas Congratulate Each Other

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas experienced credible results for their teams and themselves. They both shared a moment after the race as they waved their hands towards each other, and appreciated each other’s results. Seeing this, the fans believe the relationship between the two is strong as ever.

The Mercedes driver finished on the podium after enduring a tough race from the start. Mercedes’ issues from the practice sessions continued in the race. But this result would have given them a boost. And to add to their joy, Red Bull’s evening suffered an unfortunate end as both the cars retired towards the end of the race.

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Although Valtteri Bottas started the race alongside Lewis Hamilton, he had a poor start dropping below the top 10. Earlier, the Finnish driver had an impressive qualifying as he finished P6 and split the 2 Mercedes. Red Bull’s retirement helped, but Bottas’ grit to deliver P6 should not be underestimated. Talking about the start of the race, Bottas said, “Just massive wheel spin off the line, pretty much cooked the rear tires and then I was like a sitting duck for the first lap.” he explained.

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Both Alfa Romeo and Mercedes got important points on the board and will look to continue their strong start. However, they will be cautious of their competitors’ performance in the coming weeks. Bottas will hope to have a strong season while Hamilton will go all-in for his 8th World Championship.