Valtteri Bottas claims a new approach has made him feel "different" in 2019, but teammate Lewis Hamilton isn't buying it.

There is increased pressure on the Finn this season with his future at Mercedes under threat but he would begin in perfect fashion by winning his first Grand Prix since Abu Dhabi 2017 in Melbourne.

Not only that but he did so by 20 seconds over Hamilton, sending a message of "f**k you" to his doubters over the radio post-race.

“It’s very early in the season, just one race, but, for sure, if you look at the result, I can say that something in my mindset has changed for the year,” Bottas said in Bahrain on Thursday.

“The preparation over the winter and the way I feel and think about things have changed, but it’s quite difficult to explain. I feel different from the years before.”

Interestingly, when asked about his teammate, Hamilton admitted he isn't buying this 'badass Bottas' persona.

“I don’t think so. He’s motivated every year,” the world champion said.

“I work with the guy. He’s the same guy he was last year, so no difference for me - except he has a beard!

“Time will tell I guess. I never thought he was a weak person anyway. I’ve always seen him as a strong character.

“There’s only been one race. It was a great race for him, and I look forward to seeing many more good races from him.”

Also Read:

• Hamilton issues cost him Australia win, not a 'new Bottas', says Ralf Schumacher
• Hakkinen & Rosberg believe Bottas can pose a threat for the rest of 2019
• Hamilton never considered trying to overtake Bottas during the Australian GP

The question many have now is whether Valtteri's performance is just the start or simply a one-off and the same can be said for Mercedes, whose domination in Melbourne was also unexpected.

“It’s quite difficult to say, for sure we were all positively surprised by the performance we had in Melbourne, but that’s a bit of a funny circuit,” Bottas said.

“Obviously, it was very welcome from us to see that kind of pace, the feeling with the car was a lot better than in winter testing. The time spent between the test and the first race was spent very efficiently, I must say. 

“Let’s see how it feels here.”