Formula One: Valtteri Bottas holds off Sebastian Vettel to win in Austria

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas celebrating his Austrian Grand Prix win on the podium. PHOTO: REUTERS

SPIELBERG (REUTERS) - Finn Valtteri Bottas won the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finishing a mere 0.6sec behind to increase his lead over Lewis Hamilton to 20 points after nine races.

Hamilton, Bottas' team-mate, started in eighth place after a grid penalty triggered by an unscheduled gearbox change and finished fourth.

Vettel now has 171 points to Hamilton's 151.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished third for Red Bull, at a circuit owned by the energy drink brand, for his fifth successive podium finish with Hamilton pushing him hard to the chequered flag.

The victory from pole position was the second of the season and of his career for Bottas, who joined Mercedes in January as a replacement for retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg of Germany.

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