Valtteri Bottas elaborated on his return to Mercedes as a reserve and his role as a “mentor” for rookie F1 driver Kimi Antonelli.
After being passed over by Sauber for 2025, Bottas rejoined the Brackley-based team as a reserve driver.
On his return to Mercedes:
“Today has been my first day back with a team since obviously many, many years,” Bottas told Sky Sports at the launch of Mercedes’ partnership with sportswear brand Adidas.
“And yeah, like today, big launch of the new kit with a quality brand, quality partner. It just comes with top teams, and yeah, just extremely happy to be back.”
Although Mercedes hasn’t been a championship contender since 2021, their performance largely inconsistent in the “ground effect” era, they are still a top 5 team. In 2024, the team secured four race wins, split evenly between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Comparatively, Sauber struggled significantly, placing last in the standings with only 4 points. Now under new leadership, the team has opted for a significant lineup change ahead of the Audi rebrand, leaving Bottas and former teammate Zhou Guanyu to take on “third driver” roles at Mercedes and Ferrari respectively.
“In this sport, nothing happens overnight,” Bottas remarked. “And Mercedes already has a great history in this sport.
“You don’t build something like this overnight, like I said. So, yeah, the team keeps growing, the team keeps developing and for sure some others have big catching up to do.”
Bottas embraces “mentor” role for Mercedes newcomer Kimi Antonelli as a F1 reserve
Beyond his official duties as a reserve, Bottas also expressed his readiness to support 18-year old Antonelli as he makes his F1 debut with Mercedes.
Describing his role, Bottas said, “I think ‘mentor’ is not too far off. When you’re a rookie, when you join the sport, there’s so many new things you’ve got to learn. I definitely can help with that.
“My job is to try and help the team the best I can. And of course, Kimi is a rookie, so he probably will have more questions than George [Russell]. The team will have just an extra pair of eyes during the race week and looking at the data, looking at the driving line, stuff like that.
“I’ll be involved in all the meetings, technical stuff and can help a lot in the simulator, things like that. So it’s going to be a busier, different one for me. But yeah, looking forward.”
Bottas also addressed his dramatic crash with then-Williams driver George Russell at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the tension that followed. He stated that the two have since moved on and are ready to harmoniously work alongside each other at the team.
“We can [work well together]. We can laugh about our incident in Imola already. So all good.”
Hopeful for a full-time race seat in 2026
Looking ahead, Bottas remains eager to return to a full-time race seat, potentially as early as 2026 when new entrant Cadillac joins the grid.
Asked whether he will be afforded the freedom to negotiate with other teams throughout the season, he said, “I think we both know, me and the team, that there needs to be some kind of…we’re going to be dynamic.
“So, of course, at the moment, I’m fully committed to the year, giving everything I have for the team and trying to help the best I can. But if there’s an opportunity to race, I doubt the team would stay in between that.
“Let’s see. Let’s take it first race by race. Let the season start and then we see what the year brings and also what ‘26 brings.”
However, the Finn denied any talks with Cadillac, acknowledging that the fledgling team is still focusing on getting set up.
“No, I think they’ve been still very busy, on actually setting up the team, setting the board and all these kinds of things,” he said. “So, no, nothing yet. It’s a bit too early for that, but let’s see.”
Predictions for the 2025 season
Bottas added that he expects an exciting championship battle to play out this season, given how tightly contested 2024 was, with Red Bull falling back, McLaren and Ferrari making gains, and Mercedes staying in the mix, if more inconsistently than the others.
“It’s going to be good to watch. I can already tell that. And because the gaps are quite small at the top, you know, even between four or five teams, it’s going to be really hard to predict, which is good.
“I think it’s good for the spectators. It’s good for the sport. And the first few races will give a direction.
“But like we saw last year with the small margins, if somebody makes a step, that’s a game changer. Of course, I hope that Mercedes-Benz can be in the fight for the championship, which is everyone’s target over here.”
Finally, Bottas touched on his relationship with former teammate Lewis Hamilton, who is making his long-anticipated debut with Ferrari this season.
“Yeah, of course. I think he’s highly motivated for the year. It’s something new and refreshing for him, which can be a good trigger sometimes.
“But also, yeah, keen to see how they get on with Charles [Leclerc].”
