Valtteri Bottas said there is “something different” about Mercedes without F1 icon Lewis Hamilton in the team.

Bottas would describe it as a more “chilled” dynamic within the team, and one of “excitement”, with George Russell stepping up to the lead driver role, while highly-rated junior team graduate Kimi Antonelli takes his first steps in Formula 1 as a teenager with Mercedes.

‘Something different’ at a post-Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

Hamilton switched from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013, and what followed was success of record-breaking proportions, Hamilton claiming six of his seven World titles as part of Mercedes’ eight consecutive Constructors’ title wins, while Hamilton broke records such as most grand prix wins, podiums and poles, in Mercedes colours.

But, Hamilton called time on that iconic alliance after 12 seasons, agreeing a multi-year deal with Ferrari.

Bottas was Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate for five seasons between 2017-21 – a partnership which delivered five Constructors’ titles – and the Finn returned to Mercedes for 2025 as reserve driver.

Doing so to a team which no longer has Hamilton, Bottas – when appearing on the Beyond The Grid podcast – was asked if there is a different feeling around the place now to when he was there racing alongside Hamilton.

“Yes and no,” he began in response.

“In the end, the spirit is still the same. Toto [Wolff, team principal] is still not happy to finish second! The winning mentality is still there. Everyone is working as hard as they can, trying to solve issues, trying to get better. That hasn’t changed at all.

“But otherwise, losing a big figure such as Lewis, I think it has made some kind of difference. It’s hard to describe the feeling. But I think also there’s been this excitement of young Kimi, you know, rookie driver, joining, George having a different role this year, being, let’s say the lead driver, or the more senior driver.

“Something is different. But I struggle to put it in words. Maybe a bit chilled, in a way.”

F1 2025 driver head-to-heads

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

Bottas has experienced stepping up to the plate as the senior driver in a team, having done so at Alfa Romeo/Sauber in 2022, racing with the team for three seasons.

Asked how difficult of a transition that is, Bottas said: “I didn’t find it difficult, actually. For me, it was quite natural.

“Once you have a rookie driver next to you, you know that he’s going to ask questions, he’s going to quite often copy your set-up.

“Especially initially in the season, the rookie driver will have much less confidence on the comments and the direction you want to go with the car set-up. And that’s when the more senior driver has maybe a bit more responsibility, in a way, to make sure that the changes you’re making and pushing for are actually going to the right direction versus the wrong direction.

“But I really enjoyed it actually. That role just gives you a bit more, I don’t know, something, and especially if you make the right calls, if you are able to lead the team into the right direction, and that brings better success, it’s super rewarding.”

While Mercedes are without a race win in the opening nine rounds of F1 2025, both Russell and Antonelli have made impressive starts to the season, Russell collecting 111 points thus far and Antonelli 48.

That places Mercedes P3 in the Constructors’ standings, six points behind Ferrari one place up the road.

Read next: Ferrari tipping point imminent as Lewis Hamilton request granted – report