Valtteri Bottas pens down heartfelt note for Kimi Antonelli after the Italian’s landmark F1 feat

Mercedes F1 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas came out after the 2025 Canadian GP and penned a note for rookie Kimi Antonelli, who scored his first-ever F1 podium at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Bottas uploaded a tweet on the social media platform X, congratulating his teammates for their performance.

Bottas is a former full-time Mercedes driver who raced for Sauber in 2024. The Hinwil-based team decided to sign a completely new lineup for the 2025 season, leaving the Finn without a seat. He was then signed by Mercedes as the team's reserve driver.

Kimi Antonelli made his F1 debut earlier this year as he replaced the outgoing Lewis Hamilton. The Italian had some big shoes to fill, which were left behind by the seven-time F1 champion. However, senior figures at the team, like Peter Bonnington, Toto Wolff, George Russell, and Valtteri Bottas have helped him settle into the team quickly.

At the 2025 Canadian GP, Antonelli started in P4 and overtook Oscar Piastri on the very first lap to get himself into the podium positions. The Italian managed to keep the two McLaren drivers at bay for the duration of the race and claimed his first F1 podium.

Bottas congratulated Antonelli for his first F1 podium in his rookie season and praised Russell for an excellent drive in Montreal, which got Mercedes its first win of the 2025 season.

“First time is always special right? 🙂‍↔️ It was just a matter of time. Many more podiums to come for you Kimi. Proud of you! And well done George for your 4th win! Great drive, and great performance by the whole @MercedesAMGF1 team all weekend! I knew this was coming 💪” read Bottas’ tweet.

Kimi Antonelli also became the third youngest F1 driver to get on the podium at 18 years 9 months 21 days, only bettered by four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen and Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll.

Valtteri Bottas' role as a reserve driver at Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas fulfils all the regular duties expected from a reserve driver, which include a lot of simulator work and backend testing. However, given the fact that Bottas has more F1 experience than the current Mercedes lineup of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the Finnish driver has the expertise to solve minor issues faced by the drivers.

Bottas also has a huge social media presence and has been creating content for the Mercedes F1 social media pages. Mercedes recently uploaded a video where Antonelli and Bottas sat together to reflect on the first third of the 2025 F1 season.

Valtteri Bottas is also often spotted in the garage sitting next to Toto Wolff, giving his insights. The reserve driver has also been spotted in Kimi Antonelli’s garage with the rookie, presenting the Italian with vital information