Bottas concludes Arctic Lapland Rally fifth - claims stage win

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Valtteri Bottas enjoyed a productive rally debut in Finland, the Mercedes driver clinching a stage win and finishing fifth overall in the Arctic Lapland Rally driving a Ford Fiesta WRC.

The Finn was eager to kick off his 2019 season with something new, and accepted the opportunity to try his crafty skills on the snowy roads of Lapland.

Bottas reports for duty with 'good feelings' about 2019

To be fair, Bottas' WRC-spec Fiesta was slightly more powerful than the R5 machinery of his direct rivals, most of which were driving cars from the world championship's WRC2 category.

Still, the F1 driver's performance in Lapland proved both his versatility and speed.

Bottas chose a conservative approach at the outset but by Friday afternoon he had climbed up to fifth, locked in a battle for fourth with Skoda Fabia driver Henrik Pietarinen.

Supported by Marcus Gronholm’s long-time navigator Timo Rautiainen in the passenger of the Fiesta, Bottas was fastest on the short 2.17-mile Mäntyvaara stage, beating his rival by 2.3s.

"We finished my first ever rally 5th overall with a stage win today 🚙❄️," Bottas wrote on Twitter. "Tricky & enjoyable stages, so much fun".

The Arctic Lapland Rally was won by Emil Lindholm driving a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.

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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.