Valtteri Bottas: I hope the gap is already smaller.

      At a press conference in Montreal, Valtteri Bottas was reminded that he still holds the lap record at the Canadian track, set during the 2019 race – 1:13.078. Of course, since then, the cars in Formula 1 have changed, and for example, George Russell, the winner of last year's Canadian Grand Prix, drove his best lap on Sunday over a second slower.

      Valtteri Bottas: "It's a fun track, one of the most interesting on the calendar and truly technical, so racing here is always good. It’s definitely challenging, and we will feel that even more tomorrow because there will only be one practice session. Moreover, on Fridays, the asphalt here is always very dusty, and its condition will change quickly. But I like it here.

      In Miami, our team introduced a range of new features, with a focus primarily on aerodynamics. The rear of the Cadillac lacked stability, which was noticeable at high speeds, but we definitely felt that the car's behavior improved.

      However, while there were only a couple of fast corners in Miami, there are none here at all. Still, behind the scenes, tireless work continues, and we are making progress. For this weekend, we have prepared several updated aerodynamic components, but some new features also relate to the chassis. So, the major work on upgrading the MAC-26 continues.

      It’s clear that others are also improving, so our task is to maintain a higher pace of technical development. Of course, our real competitors remain Aston Martin, but let’s hope that in Canada we can reduce the gap from the midfield teams a bit."

      Last year, Valtteri served as a reserve driver for Mercedes and was also considered a mentor to Kimi Antonelli, who is currently leading the individual standings in the World Championship. Therefore, the Finnish Cadillac driver was asked if he sees Kimi performing so successfully thanks to his advice.

      Valtteri laughed and replied: "Of course, first and foremost, his successes are entirely my merit! I think that’s an undeniable fact. Seriously, it’s very joyful to see all this. I always had a feeling that after his first year at Mercedes, during the winter break, he would be able to make a significant leap forward.

      In a short time, he has really grown a lot professionally. It seems Kimi has become much more confident, he clearly feels more comfortable behind the wheel, and in the team as well. The last piece of advice I gave him last year was: just keep doing what you’re doing.

      Kimi is indeed progressing very quickly, and this applies not only to driving: he is also providing the team with increasingly high-quality technical information about the car's performance. I believe he is gradually improving in every respect, and he is still very young, but even at this very early stage of his career, Antonelli is doing exceptionally well with his tasks. And I am very proud of him."