Valtteri Bottas eager to relive triumph of last race at Albert Park

Valtteri Bottas will be welcomed back to Albert Park as the reigning Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix champion, more than 1000 days since he took the last podium here in Melbourne.

Crossing the finish line ahead of then-teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen remains a career highlight for Bottas, even three years on.

"The weekend in 2019 was probably one of the best races of my career so far. It felt like I was flying on Sunday, it was a beautiful feeling," said Bottas.

As the opening race of the 2019 season, the Melbourne triumph set the tone for an incredible year for Bottas, who went on to win three other Grand Prix and finish second in the Driver's Championship.

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"That season really started with a bang for me, especially the feelings were amplified because the end of 2018 was really tough for me, very challenging, but I almost felt like I was reborn in a way."

After parting ways with Mercedes at the end of 2021, Bottas will return to Melbourne with a new team at Alfa Romeo, having started 2022 with a respectable sixth in Bahrain and a DNF in Saudi Arabia.

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— Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN (@alfaromeoorlen) April 4, 2022