Bottas slides in entertaining Supercar debut
Formula 1 star Valtteri Bottas didn’t disappoint in his maiden run in Supercar machinery as he slid a Bathurst winner around Adelaide.
Bottas, who races for Alfa Romeo, made a flying visit to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival ahead of next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
The 33-year-old Finnish driver took to the wheel of the 2016 Bathurst 1000-winning Tekno VF Commodore on Sunday.
Bottas, who won 10 Grands Prix, also drove an Alfa Romeo GTV Group A touring car.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is held at the site of the VALO Adelaide 500 in the South Australian capital.
The three-day festival is the first of its kind in Adelaide since 2018, and it attracted major star power in the form of Bottas.
Bottas is followed by Lowndes
Sunday’s action was affected by rain, but that didn’t deter Bottas from putting the Tekno Commodore to the test.
In a demonstration, Bottas ragged the Stix-liveried Holden around the shortened version of the Adelaide Parklands Circuit.
Notably, Bottas did some circle work at the final corner of the circuit, which hosted F1 between 1985 and 1995.
Bottas was joined on track by seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes, who drove a 2009-spec Paul Morris Motorsport VE Commodore.
The 2009 Holden had been restored to its 2009 livery, complete in Supercheap Auto colours and with Morris’ signature #67 on the window.
Lowndes was one of several former Supercars drivers to take to Adelaide for the popular festival.
Jonathon Webb straps in Bottas
Supercars Hall of Famer Lowndes also rove the 1986 Benetton B186 BMW.
Tickford Racing driver Thomas Randle got behind the wheel of the Tipo F1 Reynard 90D F3000.
South Australian duo Todd Hazelwood (McLaren Artura) and Nick Percat (Porsche 997 Cup Car) also hit the track.
Several five-litre and Supercars were on show, including the last ever Holden Commodore winner.
Nulon Racing team owner Peter Xiberras got behind the wheel of the ZB Commodore that Broc Feeney raced to victory in Adelaide last year.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint on March 30-April 2.
The VALO Adelaide 500 will round out the 2023 season in November.
