Valtteri Bottas praises former mentee Kimi Antonelli: “A victory was only a matter of time”. Valtteri Bottas expresses his delight as Kimi Antonelli secures his first Formula 1 victory .

Antonelli’s first F1 win brings joy across the paddock

Watching Andrea Kimi Antonelli claim his first victory in Formula 1 at the Chinese Grand Prix was undoubtedly a special and significant moment for Italian fans. However, the excitement was not limited to supporters in Italy – it was shared by many figures across the paddock, including competitors now racing against the talented 2006-born driver.

Antonelli drives a Mercedes, but Bottas looks beyond the team colors

One such figure is Valtteri Bottas, who in 2025 acted as a kind of mentor for the young Bolognese driver. At the time, Valtteri Bottas was Mercedes’ third driver. Now racing under the official colors of Cadillac, he admitted in an interview with Formula1.com that he couldn’t hide his joy: “I was really happy to see Kimi on the top step of the podium for the first time.”

“With the car they have this year, it was only a matter of time,” he added. “But the victory came during a solid weekend, with excellent qualifying and a great race overall.”

Bottas proud of Antonelli’s growth

Valtteri Bottas was clearly proud of the young driver, continuing: “He has certainly grown a lot compared to last year. He is still very young and gaining experience day by day, event by event.”

“I expected him to make a step up from his first to his second year,” Valtteri Bottas confessed enthusiastically. “It seems he has achieved that,” he concluded, undoubtedly just as delighted with Kimi Antonelli’s follow-up win the next weekend in Japan.

In summary, the transition from mentor to competitor has not diminished the respect Valtteri Bottas holds for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. By highlighting the young Italian’s technical growth and qualifying prowess, Bottas has underscored why the Mercedes prodigy is currently leading the 2026 championship. As the season progresses, this blend of youthful exuberance and expert-backed maturity suggests that Antonelli’s first victories are merely the beginning of a historic campaign. The paddock is watching, and as Bottas notes, the “leap in quality” is now a proven reality on the world stage.