Valtteri Bottas casts George Russell F1 title verdict: “It’s a big year for him”

Valtteri Bottas believes George Russell has shown “he can win races and fight for titles” in F1, declaring it a “big year” for the Mercedes driver.

After failing to land a full-time drive for 2025, Bottas returned to Mercedes as their test and reserve driver for the upcoming campaign.

Bottas had great success with Mercedes, winning 10 races and remaining unbeaten in the F1 constructors’ championship during his five-year stint.

In 2025, Bottas will support Mercedes’ two main drivers - Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Bottas has already spoken about the key ‘mentor’ role he will play for Antonelli, who embarks on his first season in F1 in 2025.

In a letter on Mercedes’ official website, Bottas spoke about the two main drivers and what he expects from them this year.

“Make sure you’re focussing on the two drivers at the wheel of W16, too, it’s going to be exciting,” Bottas wrote.

“George isn’t a rookie anymore, he’s got a few years under his belt and has shown he can win races and fight for titles – it’s a big year for him, but he will maximise every opportunity.

“And then Kimi. For him it will be a steep learning curve. He is very young, but he has shown the talent and the commitment. He has been working really hard and it’s been an intense pre-season for him.

“I’m sure he’ll have a question or two for me at points through the year, but I will be there to answer them. He will learn a lot from George, too. I am looking forward to seeing his growth and development this year.

“Hopefully, as a team we will be fighting at the front. If we are, so much of it will be because of the people at the factories. They are professional and have the right work ethic and mentality. They have a winning attitude, and it’s great to be with people like that again.”

Valtteri Bottas details Mercedes reserve role

Besides the mentoring element of his role at Mercedes, Bottas plans to be at every race across the 2025 F1 season.

Explaining what he has to do, Bottas explained: “As the third driver, I’ll be at every race, involved with everything to do with performance on and off track.

Whether it's set-up or driving, I’ll be trying to use my experience to contribute to this great team.

“I’ll be getting stuck into data, looking at George and Kimi’s onboards, providing that extra pair of eyes. Hopefully, I can keep driving and do some testing too.

“At the factory, I’ll be in the simulator lots, doing development work for the W16. I’ve been getting up to speed with everything so far, learning about the new car and the plans for it this season.

“I spent Valentine’s Day doing a seat fit. It was love at second sight! Turns out, my old seat from 2021 still fits just fine.”