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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 Team, after the race during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Cristiano Barni/ATPImages)
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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 Team, after the race during the Grand Prix Formula One of Saudi Arabia on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Cristiano Barni/ATPImages)
The Australian GP is all set to take place this Sunday. The race was canceled in the last 2 years due to the pandemic. The last time the streets of Melbourne saw F1 action was back in 2019. The 2019 season opener saw Valtteri Bottas clinch the win. It marked the beginning of a wonderful F1 season that saw Lewis Hamilton clinch his 6th world title.
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Last victor in Australia
The 2019 season opener in Australia saw Valtteri Bottas win on the streets of Melbourne. The rest of the podium places were filled by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The entire weekend was dominated by Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton securing the pole and his teammate getting the race win.
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The race saw homeboy Daniel Ricciardo retire on his debut with his new team Renault in 2019. The weekend saw the start of a dominant season by Mercedes. Although Lewis Hamilton missed out on the race win at the first race, he would go on to lift the driver’s title at the end of the season.
Will we see similar events in Australia this season? Can Bottas somehow magically win in Melbourne in 2022?
Valtteri Bottas and his solid runs in 2022
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This season sees Valtteri Bottas race for a new team. He has made the switch to Alfa Romeo after 5 years at Mercedes. His last stint saw him pick up 10 race wins and multiple podium finishes. And his start to life at Alfa has been great as well, with a few hiccups along the way.
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Formula One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 20, 2022 Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Aston Martin’s Nico Hulkenberg in action during the race REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
The season opener in Bahrain saw him finish in a solid P6. However, the next race in Jeddah saw him retire due to mechanical issues. This weekend in Australia so far, he was quick enough for P7 in FP2, just over a second behind Charles Leclerc, who sat at top of the timesheets.
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Bottas will be hoping for a strong showing in Australia this weekend as well so he could add to his points tally in the drivers’ standings.
