''Hamilton could change his driving style, I didn't see Bottas do that''

Is he a champion candidate?

"This is an important year for Valtteri. He's trained yellow hard and knows he has to fight for his place at Mercedes again now that George Russell is eager to replace him. He needs to win races and be at Lewis' level from the start. Being constant will be very important to him this season," said Karun Chandhok at Sky Sports.

''There have been times when Valtteri was faster in qualifying, but was driven by Lewis in the race around the ears. If he gets that little detail right, I don't see why he could not compete for the world title," said the former Formula 1 driver.

Growth at Bottas

However, the question is not only whether Bottas can win the battle of Lewis Hamilton, because with a strong Red Bull Racing the Finn also has to deal with Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon. Add to that Ferrari that in time will also compete in the foreground and Bottas will have to beat not one, but five men.

''Valtteri has improved every year, but where Lewis could really change his driving style, I haven't seen Valtteri do that yet. He looks fitter than ever before and it will be very important for him to be dominant in Austria right away. He has performed well there more often and a good result could give him just that little extra energy'', concludes Johnny Herbert.