Valtteri Bottas won the Russian Grand Prix like a rocket at the start and like a limpet at the finish. In doing so he poured a can of worms all over Lewis Hamilton’s head.
The victory was established at the first couple of corners, where the Finn charged bravely on the outside of pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel through the gentle first curve and, travelling at 220mph, was far enough in front by the tight second bend to zip across and cover the racing line.
It was a bravura display from the 27-year-old from Nastola, southern Finland, where he cuts holes in the ice to bathe in the long cold days of winter. Ice veined, one might say.
Three things to watch at the #RussianGP: @ValtteriBottas hopes his first #F1 win will be one of them… pic.twitter.com/KnsNOekKmw
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 30, 2017
Bottas became the first Finnish grand prix winner since Kimi Raikkonen in Melbourne just over four years ago and is the ninth of his countryman ever to achieve the feat. The idea that he is a patsy at Mercedes no longer holds up to scrutiny.
Instead, it was Hamilton who finished a struggling, miserable fourth on a weekend to forget and on a day when he had several borderline fractious exchanges with his pit wall. Why was he overheating? Why this, why that? He asked for updates. Every inquiry, bar a Freedom of Information request.
Everything he tried, and he tried hard, was unavailing.
So at the end of the race – the fourth of the season – Vettel, who finished second, a place ahead of his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, has a lead of 13 points over Hamilton in the drivers’ standings. Bottas comes next, 10 further points behind.
Culled from Mail Sport
