LEWIS HAMILTON won’t get it all his own way this season after seeing his Mercedes team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, win the Australian GP.
Hamilton could not hide his disappointment at losing out to the Finn, who he steamrollered last season to take the title.
Bottas, who told SunSport how he kick-started his recovery by sinking pints in Helsinki in the winter, turned the airwaves blue as he released the frustration of a difficult 2018.
Hamilton, who had started on pole position for this season’s opening race, made a poor getaway and said his race was over by Turn One.
He said: “Once we got to the first corner, it was pretty much done and dusted. Then it was about bringing the car home and bagging the points.
“I was probably too engaged with the clutch, but I won’t know ’til I go back, but ultimately I didn’t do a good enough job.”
Downbeat Hamilton praised Bottas’ performance through gritted teeth as he crossed the line almost 21 seconds behind his teammate, as he complained of a lack of grip.
An inspection later revealed he had damaged the floor of his car on the fourth lap and spent the rest of the race pootling around and holding position.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: “We have discovered damage to Lewis’ floor at the region of the left-rear tyre seal [in front of the rear tyre] which will have exacerbated the challenges he had with the car balance.
“A chunk of the floor is missing, [we are] not sure how or why at this stage.”
Bottas celebrated his victory by shouting over his team’s radio on his slow-down lap as he could not contain his delight at recording his first win since November 2017.
He yelled: “To whom it may concern, fu*k you!”.
While it is unknown who was the target for his rage, there was a feeling it was a generic statement to those who had criticised his performances.
He had promised to come out swinging after feeling he was undermined in 2018.
During the Russian GP last September, he was told to allow Hamilton to pass to go on to win the race.
Merc boss Toto Wolff also called him a “wingman” for his supporting role to Hamilton’s own title challenge.
Bottas looked determined at Albert Park and for good measure, he also set the fastest lap, earning himself an extra point in the process as part of the new rules for this season.
He said: “It was definitely my best race ever. I felt so good and the car was so good.
“The point for the fastest lap is a new rule for this year. I had strong pace and while it was a bit of a risk on worn tyres I went for it.
“But I am happy and now cannot wait for the next race in Bahrain.”
Max Verstappen completed the podium as Ferrari’s pre-season promise failed to materialise.
Sebastian Vettel was fourth but almost ONE MINUTE after Bottas had crossed the finish line.
It was a result few had expected, given the pace the Italian team had shown in Barcelona for the tests.
It was be a deficit that will alarm Ferrari chiefs will have to answer as Vettel asked them 10 laps from the end: “Why are we so slow?”.
He later added: “We were not happy with the car the whole weekend but we struggled a lot. The reason I was so slow in the race was mostly due to the fact that the car could not find enough grip.”
Meanwhile, Bottas dedicated his victory to the FIA’s former Race Director Charlie Whiting, who died suddenly last Thursday in Melbourne.
There was a minute silence for the Brit, who was 66, and Bottas said after his win: “I just want to say, again, thank-you Charlie.
“This win is for Charlie and all his work for Formula One. He’s done a massive amount and it means a lot to all of us drivers.”
