Valtteri Bottas Proves Valuable Asset as Mentor to Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli credits Valtteri Bottas with helping him improve his performance, praising the Mercedes reserve driver's mentorship.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli expressed his appreciation for the advice of Valtteri Bottas, his teammate. “I'm never going to refuse or never not going to listen to any advice,” Antonelli said. “I'm just a young fella coming into the world of F1. I've got so much more to learn.” He credited Bottas with helping him improve his performance, particularly in Suzuka.

“It was a massive help,” Antonelli said about working with Bottas. “Together with him I was able to turn around massively the weekend from what it was looking before in practice to what it looked in qualifying and then after the race.” Antonelli struggled with tire warm-up in Japan but found Bottas' guidance valuable. “In Suzuka I was definitely struggling a lot with warm-up, so that was a really good help from him, explaining the best things to do in the warm-up in order to be able to extract the best of the tyre, having the tyres ready for the lap.”

Antonelli highlighted the importance of small details in Formula 1, saying, “It's not so much about driving but all about those little details that can make the difference on track.” The young driver is currently sixth in the standings and has already achieved notable milestones, including becoming the youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix and set a fastest lap.

Kimi Antonelli credits Valtteri Bottas with helping him improve his performance. The 18-year-old Italian rookie praised Bottas, saying the Mercedes reserve driver has been “extremely helpful” as a mentor. Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner with 246 race starts, has shared his experience with Antonelli.

🗣️ "I'm excited to see how he progresses throughout the season."

George Russell has nothing but praise for his rookie team-mate, Kimi Antonelli: pic.twitter.com/CVocaqjy7Z

— The Race (@wearetherace) April 17, 2025

Bottas' guidance made a significant difference for Antonelli during the recent Japan event. Despite not racing this season, Bottas' expertise has been invaluable to the young driver. Antonelli's progress highlights the benefits of Bottas' mentorship role within the team.