Lauda praises "sensational" Bottas

Niki Lauda thinks that Valtteri Bottas drove a "sensational" Australian Grand Prix, as the Finn finished third on his debut for Mercedes. Bottas was brought into the team for the 2017 season after Nico Rosberg retired from racing at the end of 2016.

Lauda went on to comment that if Rosberg was still around, his drive wouldn't have been any better than Bottas'. 

"The biggest problem was that when Nico decided suddenly overnight that he was not going to race with us anymore, we were standing there with open mouths," Lauda told Sky Sports F1. "Then we had long discussions, Toto [Wolff] and me, about who should we take.

"We had the right choice. For sure, for me, Bottas was always the number one in the list. I went straight for him because we needed an experienced, quick guy."

Also in the frame for the Mercedes seat was Pascal Wehrlein who is a Mercedes junior driver, however, he was deemed too young and too inexperienced for a top seat by the decision-makers. 

"The young guy, [Pascal] Wehrlein, who we discussed, was for me a little bit of a risk because he did not have enough experience. We expected Bottas in a new car, with a new team, with the help of the team, that he would get quicker, and he did all that. Through the whole weekend, he was a sensation.

"I don't think he would have been worse than Nico if Nico had raced here. It would have been exactly the same result. But he was the first time out of the car, which I think was outstanding."

Lauda does not expect to see the same internal problems that occurred between Hamilton and Rosberg over the four years of partnership. 

"It's all the same," Lauda went on to comment. "Lewis is completely relaxed. The way Lewis started the season, we all like it. They are both getting on with each other very well so, at the moment, we have absolute harmony, and I think it will stay like this."

Fergal Walsh