UPPED THE ANTI

No Lewis, no problem as Bottas admits: Cool kid Kimi has given Mercedes just the lift they need

- EXCLUSIVE BY DANIEL MOXON

ROOKIE sensation Kimi Antonelli has put the sparkle back in Mercedes' eyes.

Which is a big relief for all at the German giants, proving that replacing seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton with an unproven teenager was the right call.

That is the view of Mercedes reserve Valtteri Bottas, who has had a front-row seat to the 18-year-old's impressive start to life on the F1 grid.

Mercedes endured an awful triple header of European races in recent weeks, but there remains a spring in their step that was previously missing in the three years since they were knocked off their perch.

And 35-year-old Bottas credits enthusiastic Antonelli with helping to change the atmosphere, after 12 years of working with Hamilton before the Brit quit for Ferrari.

Bottas said: "We're not happy that McLaren is still ahead and they seem to be quite clearly ahead.