Valtteri Bottas made a prediction ahead of his sensational run

Freed from the pressure of retaining his Mercedes seat for the 2022 Formula 1 season, Valtteri Bottas put in a formidable performance at Monza, winning a podium despite starting from the back of the grid.

Despite an engine penalty for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza which forced him to start the race from the back of the grid, Valtteri Bottas had a fantastic weekend which culminated in a third place.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that this formidable performance follows the announcement that he will be replaced at Mercedes by George Russell after the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Third fastest in FP1 on Friday, Bottas stepped up his progress later in the day in qualifying, beating teammate Lewis Hamilton by just under a tenth of a second, although he gave him a towing stroke in Q3.

In the sprint qualifying race that followed, Bottas was flawless, winning to take pole and earn three points in the championship.

Unfortunately, as Mercedes had installed a new engine in their car for the weekend, Bottas could not see the benefits of his well-deserved pole position.

Instead, he had to start right at the back of the grid.

But after his victory in the sprint, his morale was not shaken by this fact.

“What can I say, you know? It’s been the perfect weekend so far and then I have a grid penalty, but you know it happens. But it’s good to see that we have a strong car here, a good pace. I will fight tomorrow, come as high as I can tomorrow.

Not only was he optimistic about tomorrow’s race; he insisted that a podium was still on the table.

However, thinking about the race and what appeared to be a brutal rear struggle through what could be multiple DRS car trains, this comment from the Finn was taken by many with a grain of salt.

Regardless of the odds, Bottas fought from the back of the grid, gaining 15 positions and finishing in fourth place. He was promoted third because Sergio Perez, who finished ahead of him in third, was given a five-second penalty.

After the announcement that he would race at Alfa Romeo in 2022, Bottas had nothing more to prove to Mercedes and put in an outstanding performance, which saw the team earn some much-needed World Championship points.

No longer affected by the pressure of having to compete to keep his seat for the next year, he was able to run with a clearer head than he had in a long time.

While Bottas was happy with the podium he shared with Daniel Riccardo and Lando Norris, he certainly didn’t seem too interested in sharing a “shoey” with the two McLaren drivers.