George Russell plans ‘key’ Bottas meeting as Ferrari engine catches eyes
George Russell and Valtteri Bottas will meet again at Mercedes in F1 2025
George Russell is keen to learn the secrets of Ferrari’s engine after Valtteri Bottas returned to Mercedes as reserve driver for the F1 2025 season.
Bottas has rejoined Mercedes in a backup role for F1 2025 after being dropped by Audi F1, who will take over the existing Sauber team next year, at the end of last year.
George Russell keen to pick Valtteri Bottas brain over Ferrari F1 engine
The Finn claimed all 10 of his F1 race victories in a five-year stint at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, contributing to five consecutive Constructors’ title triumphs alongside Hamilton.
Bottas is to fill the void of experience left by Hamilton, who has joined Ferrari for F1 2025, with teenage sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepping up to become Russell’s new team-mate.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, recently revealed that Bottas will adopt a coaching role with Antonelli to assist the 18-year-old’s development over the course of his debut season.
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Russell established a rivalry with Bottas during the 2021 season, with the pair memorably clashing on track at that year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
The British driver replaced Bottas at the end of that year, becoming Hamilton’s new team-mate ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Russell has welcomed the Finnish driver’s return to Mercedes, claiming that Bottas’ experience will prove invaluable as the team enter the post-Hamilton era.
And he is keen to understand more about the Ferrari power unit after Bottas competed with a Ferrari engine over the course of his three years at Sauber.
Russell told Mercedes’ official website: “His experience is going to be massive.
“Having someone with so much simulator and racing knowledge, and who fully knows the team, is going to be great.
“Hearing about his last few years at Sauber, with the Ferrari engine, could be key too.
“You always have to keep an open mind as to what others are doing and he has all of that under his belt.
“Obviously years ago we were perceived to not have a strong relationship, but we are both professionals and our relationship has grown.
“We often travel together and see each other at hotels or in the gym.”
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PlanetF1.com revealed last month that Bottas was so confident of staying at Sauber that he physically signed a contract extension for F1 2025 at one stage.
However, the team’s signature never came as Sauber confirmed the signing of 2024 F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto as Nico Hulkenberg’s team-mate, ending Bottas’ hopes of remaining on the grid.
Speaking ahead of his final race for Sauber in Abu Dhabi last season, Bottas admitted it was “a big mistake” to have joined the team at the end of his Mercedes career in 2022.
Bottas argued that the Swiss team lost momentum after team principal Fred Vasseur was poached by Ferrari at the end of Bottas’ first season in 2022, in which the team secured their highest position in the Constructors’ Championship in 10 years.
Put to him that joining Sauber was not the best move for his career on reflection, Bottas told Finnish outlet Ilta Sanomat: “Absolutely not.
“If I could go back three years, I would have gone somewhere else. Unfortunately, that’s how it is.
“This was a big mistake, but it’s hard to predict these things in advance.
“That first year with Vasseur was a good thing. The team spirit was good and the results were quite good.
“The last two seasons have been a bit of a downhill slide all the time. Of course, that affects my image as a driver. If you can’t show results, people kind of forget your name.
“[The 2024] season has undoubtedly been quite scary. When we set goals with Vasseur in 2022 and how to achieve them, we had a clear plan.
“But after he left, all the goals and plans went to the scrap heap. Since then, it has been significantly more challenging.”
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