Bottas secures third straight podium finish in Germany - MotorSportsTalk

Valtteri Bottas has extended his streak of podium finishes in Formula 1 to three today at the German Grand Prix after crossing the line in second place behind Nico Rosberg and ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Hockenheim.

The Finnish driver produced a great display on Sunday, managing his tires perfectly so that he only had to stop twice while the majority of the field came into the pits on three occasions.

Come the end of the race, his tires were over 40 laps old, yet he was able to fend off a charging Lewis Hamilton in the dying stages of the grand prix to match his best ever result in F1 with second place.

Bottas endured a difficult debut season in 2013, scoring just four points as he struggled to get to grips with the troublesome FW35 car. However, since then, he has flourished into one of the brightest talents in the sport, putting many of the more experienced drivers to shame.

Since securing his first podium finish in Austria, Bottas has not looked back. At Silverstone, he was knocked out in the first part of qualifying, but was able to find a way through the field to finish second behind Hamilton.

Today, he managed to keep out of trouble at turn one – unlike teammate Felipe Massa – to stay in second place through the first round of stops. The only time he came under real pressure for position was when Hamilton was catching in the dying embers of the race, but he remained composed and bagged another eighteen points for Williams.

With this result, Bottas remains fifth in the drivers’ championship, but is just six behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Williams has risen to its highest position in the constructors’ standings since 2003 with this result, passing Ferrari for third despite only having one car finish the race.

Although Bottas has set his sights on ascending to the top step of the podium in the future, he believes that second place was the best result Williams could manage today.

“We always aim for more,” the Finn said. “But for now we need to be happy with these points.

“I think today was the maximum result. We did everything perfectly, and managed to keep Lewis behind at the end which got us an extra few points, but in future, definitely we aim for more.”

Follow @LukeSmithF1

The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.