Valtteri Bottas wins Japanese Grand Prix: List of records broken
Formula 1 Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. He was ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and team member Lewis Hamilton. Bottas had jumped pole-sitter Vettel off the start to lead the German into Turn 1 at Suzuka. Red Bull's Alexander Albon finished fourth, whereas, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured sixth place. Here are the records broken.
🎶“SIX TIMES. WE’VE WON IT SIX TIMES.” 🎶❤️ #ATeamComeTrue pic.twitter.com/FT6oDu1wwi
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) October 13, 2019
There was a new record of a sixth consecutive world championship double for Mercedes. The result also secured the constructors' title for Mercedes with four races to go. Interestingly, Hamilton has not quite won the drivers' championship yet. However, nobody other than Bottas can catch him. This, in turn, guarantees a Mercedes driver will be world champion this season.
Mercedes' victory breaks the record of five title doubles set by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari from 2000 to 2004. This also confirms this Mercedes team as the greatest in Formula 1 history.
Mercedes have sealed the title with 571 points under their bag. They are on course to get past 700 points in the 2019 season. Meanwhile, Ferrari are second as they went past the 400-point mark this season (409). Red Bull (third) surpassed the 300-point mark (311). Hamilton leads the show with 338 points and Bottas follows suit with 274.
This was the 14th podium finish for Hamilton in 2019. Finland's Bottas sealed his 13th podium finish as well. Ferrari's Vettel managed to earn his eighth podium finish this season. This was Bottas' sixth career F1 race victory and a third in 2019. Mercedes now have 187 podium finishes in total. Ferrari registered their 779th podium finish.
"It has never been done before and that's why it feels great. It's F1, it's motor racing. Is it historic? I don't know. There are more important things out there but for us it feels great," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
