Brawn impressed with departing Bottas 'keeping his chin up'

Ross Brawn declared Valtteri Bottas his 'Driver of the Day' following the Finn's commanding win in Turkey, insisting the outgoing Mercedes driver "kept his chin up".

Bottas was in a league of his own at Istanbul Park where he delivered a second consecutive win to Mercedes and his first victory since Russia last year.

Bottas' task was facilitated by Lewis Hamilton's grid drop, but it was still a flawless performance by the future Alfa Romeo driver, and one that impressed Brawn.

"There were several good drives out there, including Carlos Sainz’s brilliant recovery drive from the back to score points, but my Driver of the Day goes to Valtteri Bottas," said F1's managing director.

"He did not put a foot wrong in very difficult conditions. Mercedes had a very good car, but he made the most of it – and never allowed a threat from behind.

"He’s the outgoing member of the team and in this scenario, it is easy to drop your chin, but he kept his up and I think he did a brilliant job.

"We all know Max is supreme in those wet conditions, but he couldn’t touch Valtteri. He showed us that if Alfa can give him the car next year, he’ll respond and make the most of it."

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2021 Turkish GP

Bottas wasn't the only driver whose performance caught Brawn's attention in Turkey, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who snatched his first podium in nine races, also receiving a few plaudits from the F1 chief.

"It was a solid performance from Checo after some difficult races," commented Brawn.

"It was another race where it was easy to make mistakes, but he delivered the sort of speed and showing we’ve been expecting him to since he joined Red Bull for this year.

"He made a fair defence of his position against Lewis (see the video below), and it was one of the most exciting parts of the race. He needs to do that every weekend.

"Maybe it will give him a boost and we can see that level of performance from him more consistently in the future."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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

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.