Honorary Aussie Bottas warms up for Melbourne at AMF

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Valtteri Bottas headlined this weekend’s Adelaide Motorsport Festival along with fellow F1 dignitaries Damon Hill and David Croft.

The popular annual event offered fans once again an opportunity to see in action an impressive array of racing machines ranging from classic F1 cars to historic sports cars and other iconic racers.

The festival is typically held the week before the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, making it a great lead-in event.

Bottas enjoyed a stint behind the wheel of a Larry Perkins VK Commodore but also sampled a period 1989 Adrian Newey-designed March-Judd Leyton House as seen in the picture here-above in which the Finn is flanked by Hill and Croft.

But the high-point of Bottas’ weekend was his informal intronization as an honorary Australian when he was presented by Speedcafe with a special cap marking his adoption by the country.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.