Bottas targets top-two finish at Australian GP

The 28-year-old won only three races last year despite getting a drive for the dominant Mercedes team alongside world champion Lewis Hamilton.With a host of other drivers coveting the Mercedes seat for next year when Bottas’s contract is up, the Finn knows this term he has to produce - starting at Albert Park on Sunday. “I do have big goals,” he told reporters at the track on Tuesday. “I need to try and step up my game and want to start the season well here in Melbourne. Last year, I was third in the race so for sure need to do better than that.”

Before last year’s podium, Bottas had a pretty poor record in Australia with 14th, eighth and fifth places in his three races for former team Williams. He failed to even start the 2015 race in Melbourne after suffering a back injury in qualifying which required an overnight stay in hospital. 

“I haven’t found it to be one of my strongest circuits in the past,” he added. “You know, I’ve always had a bit of mixed results but that’s something I want to change. I want to be consistent in every place, so I think there were some positives in the race last year, so hopefully we can build on that and be quick in the qualifying as well.” 

His team mate Hamilton has won only twice in Australia and finished second for the second year in a row last season on his way to his fourth world title.