Melbourne 2019, the race of a lifetime for Valtteri Bottas

When we think of Valtteri Bottas and for his achievements, the first places that come to mind are rather Russia, where he won twice (2017, 2020) and where he would have three successes if he had not had to leave Lewis Hamilton winning in 2018. Or even Austria, where he also scored two victories. The Finn, however, assures that none of his four Grands Prix are at the top of his personal hall of fame.

To find traces of the current Sauber driver's greatest race in Formula 1, we have to go back to 2019 and the first round in Melbourne. The old pilot Williams began his third season with Mercedes, and was undoubtedly coming off his worst year in F1, with no victory in a car that was nevertheless rather dominant. “It took me a while to, let's say, get over the previous year, he told the Formula 1 website. Until the beginning of January, I was neither excited nor pumped up.”

A winter of success for Valtteri Bottas

“It was only around mid-January that something clicked and I decided to give it a go. I changed certain things in my preparation, I started to listen to myself more, whether it was in terms of training, nutrition, everything. I started to be a little more flexible on certain points instead of following a set line.” As far as sporting dynamics are concerned, Mercedes had just won the previous five championships, and even though the Ferrari had impressed during the winter tests, there were only a few optimists to predict a possible first title of world champion of Charles Leclerc, the new Ferrari driver.

Mourning by the sudden death of its race director at the start of the weekend, the late Charlie Whiting, the F1 paddock was preparing to get to know Bottas 2.0, as he would call himself. “I really wanted to make sure that 2018 wasn't going to happen again. I wanted to, let's say, come back with a big boom, and in the end, I felt like that's exactly what happened in 2019, which turned out to be my best year yet in F1.” 

Valtteri Bottas, at his prime in Melbourne in 2019. © DPPI

In Melbourne, facing Lewis Hamilton who surprised everyone with a notable gain in muscle mass, Valtteri Bottas also decided to play the big game. If the Briton managed to take pole position by just a tenth compared to the Finn, Valtteri rolled out his infallible plan as soon as the lights went out the next day. “In the race itself I managed to get a better start and take the lead, he remembers with relish. From the first corner until the end of the race, I was in the lead... I won by being able to control the race and by opening up a big gap at the end (20 seconds!).

“As a driver, as an athlete, you're always looking for that state of fluidity, where you feel like you're in control of everything. Everything almost slows down, it feels like everything is easy, we have time to react, we have time to think, and the whole race went like that. I would say that sometimes you can have that feeling of fullness in qualifying, sometimes during the whole race, but yes, unfortunately, I would say it's probably less than 20% of your qualifying or your races where you reach your absolute peak in terms of mental performance.”

“To whom it may concern…”

“It was an incredible feeling and I still have goosebumps. I really felt like it was the highlight of my career so far, in terms of personal performance.” The native of Nastola felt so good crossing the line without anyone in his rearview mirror that he shouted his now famous phrase into the radio: “To whom it may concern…fxxx you!”, which could be translated as “To those who feel concerned…” “I think it was all the frustration from the previous year that came out,” explains Bottas with hindsight, who admits to having drunk “not just a beer” to celebrate on Sunday evening, near St Kilda.

An extremely solid performance, which shook the entire paddock. A Lewis Hamilton-style victory, authoritarian and implacable, with the added bonus of the point for the best lap in the race, the first, since the rule had just come into force. “It’s truly the best race I’ve ever competed in. he said at a press conference. I don't know what happened. I felt so good, and everything was under control. The car was so efficient today. A real treat.” 

Valtteri Bottas took the lead from the first corner in Melbourne in 2019. © DPPI

This feat did not remain without tomorrow, since it was the dynamite of the start of the season for the Finn, who finished 2nd in Bahrain, in China, and even 1st again in Azerbaijan, even allowing him on the evening of Baku to take find himself at the top of the championship, one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton. “It gave me a lot of confidence. I showed myself what I could really do if I was at the top of my game and ever since then I've been trying to get back to that peak. As a human being, you can't be at your best 100% of the time, but the closer you get..."

“I had a bit of bad luck afterwards and then Lewis really took over. Eventually there was a gap in the points and I found myself in a supporting role again for the end of the season, but it was probably, overall, my best season so far. Bottas will add two more victories to his good season but will finish just under 100 points behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Regardless, his 2019 season and more particularly Melbourne, Valtteri will forever remember the exhilaration of a feeling of fullness.

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