Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas says the team “really needed” the 1-2 finish it scored at the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix.
After a tough previous race in Monaco, where Bottas ended up fourth and Lewis Hamilton seventh, Bottas admitted it was crucial Mercedes bounced back in Montreal.
Hamilton took pole position and Bottas lined up third. While his team-mate went on to win, Bottas had to fight back from losing ground on the first lap.
He benefitted from Max Verstappen’s Red Bull retiring early on to finish second place, securing a 1-2 for Mercedes and picking up fourth podium of the season.
![Aston Martin managed its first race finish of 2026 with Fernando Alonso [behind] completing the distance](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aston-Martin-Honda-Japanese-GP-120x86.webp)
“For sure it felt good, thank you Montréal, it’s my fifth time racing here and third time up here on the podium,” he said.
“It is a good place for me and always good to be here. As a team we really needed this 1-2 to get those points.
“After a tough race in Monaco, I’m really impressed what the team has done to get everything together and how much we could improve in two weeks is impressive.
“The beginning was a bit tough being behind Red Bull then I got stuck behind one of the Force Indias, so I lost some time there.
“Then we split strategies, I went for the soft. I knew what I had to do in the end, to bring the car home and get the points.”
![Aston Martin managed its first race finish of 2026 with Fernando Alonso [behind] completing the distance](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aston-Martin-Honda-Japanese-GP-350x250.webp)
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