Brawn impressed with Bottas 'grit and determination'

©Mercedes

Ross Brawn likes what he's seen so far this year from Valtteri Bottas, F1's managing director of motorsports praising the Mercedes driver for how he has "taken the fight" to Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas was outpaced for the better part of last year by his prestigious team mate, failing to win a single race in 2018 while Hamilton notched up eleven victories.

Over the winter, the 29-year-old vowed to step up his game and he has conclusively done that in the first four races of 2019, sharing with Hamilton Mercedes' record-breaking succession of one-two finishes.

Hakkinen: Bottas performance in Baku 'one of the very best'

"It’s never been done before," Brawn said in his post-Azerbaijan Grand Prix debrief.

"Four one-two finishes in the first four races of the year is an incredible result and it sets an incredible standard for this season.

"Congratulations therefore to Mercedes who are showing once again this year that they’re not prepared to rest on their laurels.

"And well done too to Valtteri Bottas, who has started the season in fine style, with two wins and two pole positions and definitely deserves to be leading the championship."

©Mercedes

While impressed with Bottas' performance year-to-date, Brawn also underlined the style in which his wins were achieved, especially in light of the slump he endured in 2018.

"Valtteri has managed to raise his game to fight against an extraordinary champion in Lewis Hamilton," added Brawn.

"I have seen for myself how a driver can suffer, consciously or not, from being in the same team as a truly great champion and Lewis is one of the greatest we have seen.

"It can be incredibly intimidating and cause a driver to fall below their true ability. Getting out of that mindset can be difficult and takes a lot of effort, especially on the mental side.

"Valtteri has managed it and he has shown grit and determination in the first four races and especially in the way he has taken the fight to Lewis in qualifying has been really impressive."

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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.