The Austrian Grand Prix was the second win of the year for Valtteri Bottas and also the second time he’s topped our Driver of the Weekend poll.
Here’s why F1 Fanatic readers voted him the top driver of the last race:
Valtteri Bottas’s Grand Prix weekend
Although Lewis Hamilton had a grid penalty for an a gearbox change, Bottas out-qualified him on merit to take his second career pole position.
His start was controversial, to put it mildly. Bot Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, who started closest to him on the grid, accused him of anticipating the start. Bottas later admitted he had “gambled” with when to make his getaway.
He made that fast start count in the first stint, pulling out a decent lead over Vettel. The Ferrari driver came back at him in the second half of the race but, as in Russia, Bottas had enough in reserve to hold him off.
Another victory Bottas is deserving of credit for without Hamilton’s relative performance being able to be blamed on outright issues. Hamilton had a grid penalty to suffer but Bottas didn’t rest back and accept a gifted result, he beat him in qualifying. He then gave a perfect race start and managed his race inch perfectly to win against a seemingly faster Vettel.
Did Hamilton have more outright speed and was Bottas lucky the race wasn’t 1 lap longer or did he deliver a victory in the slowest time possible?
For all the bluster of Hamilton’s father about him ending careers, Bottas is delivering a very credible season up against him, and best of all he doesn’t fool around drinking his champagne from a sweaty boot, he necks it from the bottle like a real champ.
Philip (@Philipgb)
Between Bottas and Grosjean for me, voted Bottas as he got pole and held off a charging Vettel without cracking under pressure.
@Ksells
Austrian Grand Prix winners and losers
Daniel Ricciardo took his fifth consecutive podium and @Macca was especially impressed by his performance:
His weekend was faultless. Out qualified his team mate and put the car as high on the grid as was possible. Then drove an absolute stunning race to keep Hamilton behind and bring home another podium.
I don’t know how other people feel, but I think 99.9% of drivers would have been passed by Hamilton with the move he made into turn 4 on the second last lap. Outstanding piece of defensive driving.
@Macca
Meanwhile Romain Grosjean impressed @PJA:
Bottas was quickest in qualifying to take pole, and was dominant in the race, although his tyre problems meant Vettel closed up a lot at the end.
During the race I thought that Mercedes should have brought Bottas in for his only stop as soon as all the other leading cars had pitted just to cover them, it was then stated in commentary that Vettel had reduced Bottas’s lead significantly by the time he did make his stop which I thought showed they should have brought him in earlier, but considering the state of his tyres at the end of the race it was probably better to leave him out on his first set as long as they did.
Grosjean was best of the rest behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in both the qualifying and the race, I didn’t notice him much during the race highlights but he seemed to have a good clean race to finish sixth for Haas’s best result of the season.
I the end it was a close decision but I voted for Grosjean.
@PJA
Valtteri Bottas’s Driver of the Weekend wins from 2011 to date
- 2013 United States Grand Prix
- 2014 Austrian Grand Prix
- 2014 British Grand Prix
- 2014 German Grand Prix
- 2017 Russian Grand Prix
- 2017 Austrian Grand Prix
Driver of the weekend: The Twitter verdict
Among the other drivers to win praise on Twitter were Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, though many were unimpressed with Daniil Kvyat:
Got to feel for @KevinMagnussen & @HaasF1Team as reliability in quali & the race cost the team a big haul of point.. #F1 #AustrianGP #HaasF1
— The Pob (@Quemerford) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/ssd_lincoln/status/884108756866539520
Quite impressed by Jolyon Palmer today. Looked more relaxed than he has done for some time and so very close to a first point of 2017. #F1
— Oliver Harden (@OllieHarden) July 9, 2017
Daniil Kvyat shouldn't be a formula 1 driver.
Over sponsored and Under skilled #F1 #F1Austria— Jon (@Jondee1984) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/_ConradTokyo/status/884098411498221568
Geez verstappen is pretty unlucky at the moment #F1 #AustriaGP
— Lauren Austin (@MsLaurenAustin) July 9, 2017
One more lap for vettel surely would've got the win….unlucky #AustrianGP
— Georgio Makos (@GeorgioMakos) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/iamlokket/status/884086624685928449
Well done Bottas! Great race#AustrianGP
— Pauline Swatman (@pollyann82) July 9, 2017
Hard luck Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.#AustrianGP
— Sparrow II (@IsaacSparrowJr) July 9, 2017
Great drive by @RGrosjean today! P6 #F1 #AustrianGP
— Michael Hawkins (@MHawkATL) July 9, 2017
# Kvyat biggest joke in F1
— Erasmuts (@kootelet) July 9, 2017
Disappointed with Lewis today. Come back next race and stronger again. #TeamLH #AustrianGP
— Gintautas Kviliunas (@Juventusfan15) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/imthebatmax/status/884068086575493122
If Ferrari want to win the Constructors', they need to replace Raikkonen. He is costing the team a massive amount of points #AustrianGP #F1
— Jake Nichol (@JakeNichol1498) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/BruceNV/status/884067214894051328
Don't know why @LewisHamilton pitted so early! could have gone at least 10 more laps on his tyres. Thought strategy was leave him out #F1
— Lorraine H 🌸 (@jonic1986) July 9, 2017
Kvyat needs to go back to Formula E… this is how he got demoted from Red Bull Racing, did he not learn anything? #AustrianGP #BBCF1 #SSF1
— Aquarius. (@UnathiPanda) July 9, 2017
Can't help but feel absolutely gutted for Max Verstappen. Poor guy can't catch a break this season. #AustrianGP #Verstappen #PoorMax
— Jonathan Gilmour (@JonoGilmour07) July 9, 2017
Was good to watch f1 today well done danny ricardo you are wow
— ann whitehead (@annwhit80041057) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/MoloantoSindane/status/884063892640550913
https://twitter.com/MaxReimerink/status/884063839297437698
Nice job Romain Grosjean on the 6th place finish in Austria today #F1 #AustrianGP #HaasF1 @RGrosjean @HaasF1Team
— VERN (@Vern24107) July 9, 2017
Valtteri Bottas is not out of the World Drivers' Championship fight at all. Only 35 points off #AustrianGP
— Jack (P)rentice (@JPrentice8) July 9, 2017
Congrats @ValtteriBottas for the amazing start & GR8 driving! #Formula1 #AustrianGP
— Atte Palomäki (@attep) July 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/IceCranberry/status/884062847566848000
https://twitter.com/Sierra__Tango/status/884062727387435008
https://twitter.com/_markgallagher/status/884061277663920129
2017 Austrian Grand Prix
- Second Driver of the Weekend win for Bottas
- Modest score for underwhelming Austrian GP
- 2017 Austrian Grand Prix Predictions Championship results
- 2017 Austrian Grand Prix Star Performers
- “It looked like Valtteri jumped the start”: Austrian GP race team radio highlights
ILuvSoundtracks (@)
14th July 2017, 16:33
I wonder what the Finnish commentators reacted to his second victory.
Jere (@jerejj)
14th July 2017, 19:18
@iluvsoundtracks More or less similar reaction as with his first win in Sochi.