Valtteri Bottas says that his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory was very important for him after a tough second half of the season. The Finn took home his third Grand Prix victory on Sunday after a race-long fight with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas claimed pole position on Sunday and maintained his lead at the start of the race. Despite coming under some pressure from behind, the Finn kept a composed head and claimed his first Grand Slam - pole position, the race win and the fastest lap.
The 28-year-old took two victories in the first half of the season in Russia and Austria, but found himself being dominated by Hamilton for much of the second half. Now, he enters the off-season knowing he has beaten his teammate in a straight fight.
"It is a really important win for me after having pretty difficult start to second half of the year," he said. "Working hard on all the issues and getting better and better with everything. This weekend, pole and win, couldn't be happier to end the season like this.
"Again, congratulations to Lewis for the title and congrats to Sebastian for second in the championship. I'm third this year and hopefully better next year. I was managing the pace and the race and that was a nice feeling. I had a lockup when approaching one of the lapped car but otherwise no issues. The last five laps I managed to go quicker and build the gap. The car was so good and to the team, thank you very much."
Fergal Walsh
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