Ralf Schumacher saw no 'new Bottas' in Melbourne

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Valtteri Bottas only owed his dominant lights-to-flag win in Melbourne to the floor damage incurred by Lewis Hamilton's car.

Bottas put in a commanding performance in Australia to win his first race since Abu Dhabi in 2017, upstaging his reigning world champion team mate.

Despite the Finn's master-class performance, Schumacher doubts a new and improved Bottas has emerged over the winter.

"I would say that was just a good weekend for him – no more and no less," Schumacher said on his Starting Grid podcast.

"I would not interpret that much.

• Former sponsor muted on Bottas crude radio outburst

"He showed in qualifying that he is on the level of Hamilton, but in the end he was still a tenth away because he has just made the famous mistake – without [Hamilton’s damaged] underbody and the start it would have been be the usual picture I’m pretty sure.

"That’s why, yes, it’s good that he made it, but we do not have a new Bottas, which would be very surprising."

The six-time Grand Prix winner and brother of F1 legend Michael Schumacher sees Bottas' lack of consistency as a weakness he'll will need to correct if the Finn aspires to topple Hamilton.

"Bottas definitely needs the momentum – no question about last year – and he’s a driver anyway who can be as quick as an arrow, but not so constant, and not so constant under pressure, added the 43-year-old German.

"He did not really have that kind of pressure that race because he could lead.

"Lewis’s strength is his consistency, his ability to race at the right time. I want him [Bottas] to do it, but I would be very surprised if he had learned that over the winter.

"It’s also a character thing after all, but he still drove a strong race, which makes me very happy for him."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter