Formula 1\u2019s often overlooked softer side was perfectly captured when Lewis Hamilton was spotted offering words of comfort to a dejected Kimi Antonelli during the young Italian’s difficult weekend at Spa earlier this season. Here was a seven-time World Champion, taking time to encourage a rookie who’d just endured one of those weekends every driver knows too well.<\/p>\n
It’s a scene that’s played out a number of times throughout F1\u2019s history \u2013 experienced hands guiding the next generation, sharing wisdom earned through years. These ‘big brother’ relationships have shaped some of the sport’s greatest, proving that behind all the fierce competition and rivalries, F1 has always been about more than just crossing the finish line first.<\/p>\n
From Fangio’s fatherly guidance of Moss in the 1950s to modern-day mentorships on the 2025 grid, here are 10 of the most heartwarming examples of F1 drivers looking out for one another.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli<\/p>\n
Kimi Antonelli<\/a> has long been observing Lewis Hamilton<\/a>‘s approach to success while he progressed through the Mercedes<\/a> junior system. Once it was revealed that the teenager would replace the departing seven-time champion for the 2025 season, it would have been entirely understandable if their relationship was nothing more than amicable.<\/p>\n However, Hamilton left more than just a legacy at his former team \u2013 he left a handwritten note for Antonelli in what would become his new driver room. Mercedes\u2019 Race Team Co-ordinator Stephen Lord shared its contents, telling the Beyond The Grid podcast<\/a>: “It was a note to Kimi… basically welcoming him to his new room, and it was wishing him the best of luck, saying some really nice things about the team and how, if you care for them, they’ll care for you because they’re a great team.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahead of Antonelli\u2019s F1 debut in Australia, Hamilton offered personal advice \u2013 but it was a quiet gesture at Spa that really stood out. After a tough Qualifying left the rookie visibly dejected, Hamilton made a surprise visit to the Mercedes garage to lift his spirits. \u201cHe told me to keep my head up\u2026 to keep believing,\u201d Antonelli said. \u201cIt was really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto<\/p>\n Long before Gabriel Bortoleto<\/a> reached F1, the young Brazilian struck up a friendship with none other than Max Verstappen<\/a>. Bortoleto recalled the beginnings of their friendship, telling Autosport it was during his Formula 3 championship-winning campaign.<\/p>\n Whilst the pair bonded over a mutual love for gaming and sim racing, Verstappen simultaneously offered advice and encouragement. The Dutch driver even went to the lengths of publicly advocating for his mentee in the paddock, in the hopes it would boost Bortoleto\u2019s chances of a Formula 1 seat in 2025.<\/p>\n Fast-forward to halfway through his rookie season, Bortoleto has described the four-time World Champion as \u201ca good friend\u201d and said, \u201cI see him as an example of a driver I would like to become \u2013 in terms of his expertise in racing and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher<\/p>\n From the moment Mick Schumacher arrived in Formula 1 with Haas<\/a> in 2021, Sebastian Vettel was already more than a fellow German driver \u2014 but a trusted guide. \u201cMick is a great guy,\u201d Vettel said at the time. \u201cWe get along well, and I’m happy to tell him everything I know.\u201d<\/p>\n Their connection is clearly deeply personal, with Schumacher saying to Motorsport-Magazin.com: \u201cWhat my dad was to Sebastian, he is for me: someone that I\u2019m close to, with whom I can talk about motorsport.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair were often seen comparing notes on race weekends, with Vettel offering up advice to Schumacher \u2013 but he insisted this was not as a mentor, but as a friend. After on-track contact between them in 2023, which could understandably cause a rift between some drivers, neither laid blame \u2013 instead choosing to discuss it between themselves.<\/p>\n Their bond has continued despite Vettel\u2019s retirement and Schumacher\u2019s move to WEC, with the pair reuniting as team mates at the 2025 Race of Champions.<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz<\/p>\n As a young boy, Carlos Sainz<\/a> recounts dragging his dad out of bed to watch Fernando Alonso<\/a> win F1 races, and after meeting his hero at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2005, an awestruck Sainz told his father, \u201cI want to be like Fernando Alonso one day.\u201d<\/p>\n Alonso not only inspired Sainz to choose F1 rather than following in his father\u2019s rally-driving footsteps \u2013 he even shaped Sainz\u2019s entire approach to racing. \u201cEverything I know, I had to learn from him,\u201d Sainz once told ESPN. When he replaced Alonso at McLaren<\/a> in 2018, it represented a quiet handover between two friends and countrymen.<\/p>\n Over the years, the pair have shared post-race meals, advice, and even a laugh \u2013 such as when Alonso unknowingly threw Sainz\u2019s cherished lucky cap into the Spanish crowd during his rookie season. From childhood hero to dinner companion, Alonso has cemented himself as a prominent mentor to Sainz during his decade in the sport.<\/p>\n Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel<\/p>\n The dynamic between Michael Schumacher<\/a> and Sebastian Vettel<\/a> remains the gold standard of modern Formula 1 mentorship. Like many wholesome pairings in the sport, it began with young Vettel idolising his hero. One of his early karting trophies was even presented by Schumacher himself, who befriended the starstruck Vettel, encouraging him to chase his dreams and aim for the top.<\/p>\n After stepping into Formula 1, it was clear Schumacher recognised something of himself in the young rookie \u2013 the drive, discipline, and hunger of a future champion. Over time, Schumacher offered not just encouragement but meaningful life lessons and showed him what it truly meant to carry himself like a champion \u2013 a clear-cut sign of his belief in Vettel to achieve greatness.<\/p>\n Showing how their friendship extended beyond the confines of the F1 paddock, the pair would go on to dominate the Race of Champions together, winning the Nations Cup six times.<\/p>\n It was clear to see that Schumacher wasn\u2019t just a mentor to Vettel, he was also a close friend who played a key role in Vettel becoming a record-breaking driver. Vettel has often spoken of his immense gratitude towards Schumacher and, as above, it led him to reciprocate the mentorship when Schumacher’s son, Mick, as he entered Formula 1 in 2021.<\/p>\n Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen<\/p>\n The mentorship between Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen was just as understated as the two Finns themselves. It was quiet, cool, and decisive.<\/p>\n Nearing the end of the 2001 season, two-time champion Hakkinen announced his plan to take a sabbatical, with his seat at McLaren becoming vacant. There were numerous drivers considered to replace him, yet Hakkinen insisted that his compatriot Raikkonen \u2014 though still a rookie \u2014 should be his successor.<\/p>\n His endorsement of the young driver turned out to be pivotal, as he successfully persuaded the team, \u201cIf you want to win, get the Finn\u201d.<\/p>\n The pair became friends quickly, even going on holidays together. Raikkonen spoke to ESPN of their bond, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s made life easier coming to Formula 1 having Mika from Finland also\u2026 If I have some things to ask from him, he can help me\u201d.<\/p>\n Though later in his career Hakkinen became a stern critic of Raikkonen\u2019s performances, the bond they shared in those formative moments of Raikkonen\u2019s journey still remains one of the clearest examples of using senior influence and mentorship to elevate the next generation of drivers.<\/p>\n Ayrton Senna and Rubens Barrichello<\/p>\n From his earliest days in F1, Rubens Barrichello was embraced by fellow Brazilian Ayrton Senna<\/a> who adopted a sort of paternal responsibility for him. This was a bond that lived on even after the tragedy of Senna\u2019s fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.<\/p>\n When speaking of that tragic weekend, Barrichello recalled the moment he regained consciousness in the medical centre after his own violent crash during practice: \u201cThe first face I saw was Ayrton\u2019s. He had tears in his eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrichello would later reflect that Senna \u201clooked after me when I came into F1,\u201d and described him as a guardian angel whose kindness shaped his early career \u2014 despite all the pranks he played on the young Brazilian.<\/p>\n These gestures \u2013 Senna checking on his fellow Brazilian following his crash and offering emotional and moral support without fanfare \u2013 all highlight a powerful form of brotherly mentorship and a bond that ultimately saw Barrichello become a pallbearer of Senna\u2019s coffin.<\/p>\n Niki Lauda and Alain Prost<\/p>\n The partnership between Niki Lauda<\/a> and Alain Prost<\/a> at McLaren during 1984 and 1985 still stands as one of Formula 1\u2019s most genuine \u201cbig brother\u201d stories.<\/p>\n When paying tribute to the late Lauda, Prost has often recalled those two seasons as \u201cthe best in my career\u201d \u2014 not solely for the victories, but for the respect and mentorship Lauda offered. In contrast to many intra-team rivalries, theirs was built on trust. Prost openly admitted that Lauda was the only team mate he was happy to play number two to, appreciating the Austrian\u2019s experience and wisdom.<\/p>\n In an interview with AFP, Prost stated how one of Lauda\u2019s greatest lessons went beyond racing, by teaching him how to decompress after disappointments. He recalled how, after a poor performance, Lauda took Prost to a nightclub, saying: \u201cWe laughed a lot and he said, \u2018See, it\u2019s a good way to forget what happened\u2026 from tomorrow on you never think about what\u2019s behind it again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n That philosophy of keeping \u201cboxes\u201d in life shaped Prost, both on and off track. In his own words, Prost admitted, \u201cmy most splendid and brilliant years were as team mate to Niki\u201d, and he still refers to the three-time World Champion as his idol.<\/p>\n Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart<\/p>\n The camaraderie of Formula 1 in the 1960s was perfectly embodied by Graham Hill<\/a> and Jackie Stewart<\/a>. When Stewart joined British Racing Motors (BRM) in 1965, he stated that he was the “new boy on the block” to team leader Hill, who was 10 years his senior. Stewart knew he needed guidance, admitting, “there was no one better to study under than Graham”.<\/p>\n Hill, already a World Champion, took Stewart under his wing with typical British aplomb. Their relationship extended far beyond the cockpit, with Hill teaching Stewart about life as a racer \u2013 from getting “fitted up for Savile Row suits” to understanding the social expectations of a Formula 1 star. As Damon Hill recalls, his father served as both “role model” and “mentor” to the ambitious young Scot during those formative years at BRM.<\/p>\n Hill’s mentorship proved transformative for Stewart, who credited his team mate with teaching him the art of being both a champion driver and a complete gentleman. Their friendship flourished into a charming double act that captivated audiences. The pair regularly holidayed together and became television favourites, their banter perfectly capturing the spirit of their relationship.<\/p>\n Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss<\/p>\n