Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas (Finland) has won the opening test of the new formula 1 season, and thus a challenge to team-mate Lewis Hamilton (Britain) sent. Bottas won on Sunday in Austria, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Monaco) and the English Lando Norris in the McLaren. World champion Hamilton came in behind Bottas to the finish, but received shortly before the end of a Five-second penalty and was demoted to fourth place.

Sebastian Vettel (Heppenheim) was in the non-winning eligible Ferrari long only in the middle of the road, after a spin at halftime of the race he fell back and landed on rank ten.

For Bottas, this year may be the only real Challenger to Hamilton, it was the eighth victory of his career. For the second Time after 2017, the Finn won in Spielberg.

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