Podium in Australia a ‘good starting point’ for Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas says third place in the 2017 Australian Grand Prix is a “good starting point” for his first season at Mercedes.

The Finnish driver qualified in third, a few tenths behind team-mate and polesitter Lewis Hamilton, and challenged Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel on lap one.

He dropped back in the opening stint, struggling with the ultra-soft tyre, before enjoying improved pace on the soft compound.

Bottas closed in on Hamilton in the last stage of the race, picking up the final spot on the podium and finishing just two seconds behind his team-mate.

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“There are always things that could have gone better on the day but it's a good starting point for my journey driving for Mercedes,” he explained.

“As a team I think we did a really good job with the car we had. But Ferrari were quicker today, there's no doubt about that.

“They've obviously done a great job over the winter. From my side the main issue was the first stint. I felt like I was always sliding around on the ultra-soft tyre – missing front and rear grip – especially after 10 laps.

“That wasn't easy. But once we stuck on the softs I had a great feeling with the car. It was behaving really nicely and it felt really nice to drive.

“It's a shame it was just a bit too late. But overall this race wasn't a disaster. It's good to start with a podium with a new team and every position is important for the championship.

“There's a long season ahead. I have my points and I'll do better next time. I'm looking forward to China.”