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Valtteri Bottas experienced a wave of nostalgia after getting behind the wheel of the iconic Mercedes W11 car. The Finnish driver drove the championship-winning car around the Paul Ricard circuit in France on May 11 under the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations in Formula 1.
The W11 was the Mercedes Silver Arrow that dominated the Formula 1 grid during the 2020 season. After driving the car around the Marseille circuit, Bottas took to social media to share his feelings. Posting a series of photos on his X (formerly Twitter) account, he captioned them:
“Reunited with the W11 🥰”
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Valtteri Bottas, who partnered with Lewis Hamilton during the 2020 season, played a crucial role in maximizing the Silver Arrow's dominance. The now 35-year-old clinched two of Mercedes’ 13 victories in the 17-race, pandemic-shortened season.
The W11 is widely regarded as one of the German outfit’s most dominant cars ever. It was in this challenger that Hamilton equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Drivers’ Championships.
During the 2020 season, Bottas finished second in the Drivers’ Championship, securing five pole positions and recording 11 podium finishes. Although he largely played second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton, his performances were instrumental in helping Mercedes secure their seventh consecutive Constructors’ Championship title.
Valtteri Bottas reacts to Kimi Antonelli's pole position at the Miami GP sprint
Valtteri Bottas expressed his admiration for Kimi Antonelli after the 18-year-old secured pole position during the Miami Grand Prix sprint. The young Italian driver clocked the fastest lap around the Miami Autodrome circuit to claim pole position.
Kimi Antonelli, who was one of the highest-rated drivers from Mercedes’ junior drivers program, put together a composed lap to top the Miami Grand Prix sprint shootout. The strong performance by Antonelli prompted Bottas to react. He commended the young driver on X, saying:
“Nice work mate 👏👏👏”
The 10-time Grand Prix winner has often voiced his support and belief in the talents of Antonelli, and his sprint pole position only fueled this belief. Sadly for the rookie driver, his pole position did not translate to a race victory, as a turn-one incident with Oscar Piastri, as well as a pitlane incident involving Max Verstappen, led him to finish the race in seventh.
The former Prema Racing driver is, however, tipped to deliver more impressive performances in the upcoming races as the Formula 1 calendar enters its European leg of the season. Antonelli's most notable performances during his junior formula years came on European circuits, including the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he claimed his maiden F2 victory.
Valtteri Bottas, on his part, is currently without a seat on the 2025 F1 grid, and the Finnish driver is currently linked with a move to join the series' newest team, Cadillac. Whether a move to the Silverstone outfit will materialize remains to be seen.
