Bottas took pole position at the season-opening and led the race from start to finish. Prior to the Styrian Grand Prix, it was revealed that Bottas and his team Mercedes were under investigation by the FIA for potentially breaching COVID-19 safety protocols after he returned home to Monaco. Whilst it was initially reported that Mercedes would receive warning letters, Bottas and Mercedes were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. Bottas qualified fourth in wet conditions for the Styrian Grand Prix and went on to finish second in the race behind Hamilton, cutting his championship lead to six points. Bottas qualified second behind Hamilton at the , but made a false start and lost four places at the first corner. He was able to recover to third place by the end of the Grand Prix, but lost the lead of the championship to Hamilton.