Formula 1’s 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.
It’s a scene that’s played out a number of times throughout F1’s history – 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.
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.
Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli has long been observing Lewis Hamilton‘s approach to success while he progressed through the Mercedes 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.
However, Hamilton left more than just a legacy at his former team – he left a handwritten note for Antonelli in what would become his new driver room. Mercedes’ Race Team Co-ordinator Stephen Lord shared its contents, telling the Beyond The Grid podcast: “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.”
Ahead of Antonelli’s F1 debut in Australia, Hamilton offered personal advice – 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. “He told me to keep my head up… to keep believing,” Antonelli said. “It was really nice.”
Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli have shared heartwarming moments this year
Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto
Long before Gabriel Bortoleto reached F1, the young Brazilian struck up a friendship with none other than Max Verstappen. Bortoleto recalled the beginnings of their friendship, telling Autosport it was during his Formula 3 championship-winning campaign.
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’s chances of a Formula 1 seat in 2025.
Fast-forward to halfway through his rookie season, Bortoleto has described the four-time World Champion as “a good friend” and said, “I see him as an example of a driver I would like to become – in terms of his expertise in racing and everything.”
Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto have enjoyed a strong relationship
Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher
From the moment Mick Schumacher arrived in Formula 1 with Haas in 2021, Sebastian Vettel was already more than a fellow German driver — but a trusted guide. “Mick is a great guy,” Vettel said at the time. “We get along well, and I’m happy to tell him everything I know.”
Their connection is clearly deeply personal, with Schumacher saying to Motorsport-Magazin.com: “What my dad was to Sebastian, he is for me: someone that I’m close to, with whom I can talk about motorsport.”
The pair were often seen comparing notes on race weekends, with Vettel offering up advice to Schumacher – 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 – instead choosing to discuss it between themselves.
Their bond has continued despite Vettel’s retirement and Schumacher’s move to WEC, with the pair reuniting as team mates at the 2025 Race of Champions.
Sebastian Vettel (then of Aston Martin) and Mick Schumacher (then of Haas) shared a strong relationship while on the F1 grid together
Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz
As a young boy, Carlos Sainz recounts dragging his dad out of bed to watch Fernando Alonso win F1 races, and after meeting his hero at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2005, an awestruck Sainz told his father, “I want to be like Fernando Alonso one day.”
Alonso not only inspired Sainz to choose F1 rather than following in his father’s rally-driving footsteps – he even shaped Sainz’s entire approach to racing. “Everything I know, I had to learn from him,” Sainz once told ESPN. When he replaced Alonso at McLaren in 2018, it represented a quiet handover between two friends and countrymen.
Over the years, the pair have shared post-race meals, advice, and even a laugh – such as when Alonso unknowingly threw Sainz’s 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.
Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) in 2015
Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel
The dynamic between Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel 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.
After stepping into Formula 1, it was clear Schumacher recognised something of himself in the young rookie – 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 – a clear-cut sign of his belief in Vettel to achieve greatness.
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.
It was clear to see that Schumacher wasn’t 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.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) is congratulated by Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP) in 2012
Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen
The mentorship between Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen was just as understated as the two Finns themselves. It was quiet, cool, and decisive.
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 — though still a rookie — should be his successor.
His endorsement of the young driver turned out to be pivotal, as he successfully persuaded the team, “If you want to win, get the Finn”.
The pair became friends quickly, even going on holidays together. Raikkonen spoke to ESPN of their bond, saying: “It’s made life easier coming to Formula 1 having Mika from Finland also… If I have some things to ask from him, he can help me”.
Though later in his career Hakkinen became a stern critic of Raikkonen’s performances, the bond they shared in those formative moments of Raikkonen’s journey still remains one of the clearest examples of using senior influence and mentorship to elevate the next generation of drivers.
Mika Hakinnen and Kimi Raikkonen (2001)
Ayrton Senna and Rubens Barrichello
From his earliest days in F1, Rubens Barrichello was embraced by fellow Brazilian Ayrton Senna who adopted a sort of paternal responsibility for him. This was a bond that lived on even after the tragedy of Senna’s fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
When speaking of that tragic weekend, Barrichello recalled the moment he regained consciousness in the medical centre after his own violent crash during practice: “The first face I saw was Ayrton’s. He had tears in his eyes.”
Barrichello would later reflect that Senna “looked after me when I came into F1,” and described him as a guardian angel whose kindness shaped his early career — despite all the pranks he played on the young Brazilian.
These gestures – Senna checking on his fellow Brazilian following his crash and offering emotional and moral support without fanfare – all highlight a powerful form of brotherly mentorship and a bond that ultimately saw Barrichello become a pallbearer of Senna’s coffin.
Rubens Barrichello drives past a sign painted onto the track in remembrance of the late Ayrton Senna as he takes Pole Position during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix on 27th August 1994
Niki Lauda and Alain Prost
The partnership between Niki Lauda and Alain Prost at McLaren during 1984 and 1985 still stands as one of Formula 1’s most genuine “big brother” stories.
When paying tribute to the late Lauda, Prost has often recalled those two seasons as “the best in my career” — 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’s experience and wisdom.
In an interview with AFP, Prost stated how one of Lauda’s 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: “We laughed a lot and he said, ‘See, it’s a good way to forget what happened… from tomorrow on you never think about what’s behind it again.’”
That philosophy of keeping “boxes” in life shaped Prost, both on and off track. In his own words, Prost admitted, “my most splendid and brilliant years were as team mate to Niki”, and he still refers to the three-time World Champion as his idol.
Former driver Alain Prost helps Niki Lauda prepare on track in 2015
Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart
The camaraderie of Formula 1 in the 1960s was perfectly embodied by Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart. 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”.
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 – 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.
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.
Firm friends off the track; Graham Hill (GBR) Brabham and Jackie Stewart (GBR)
Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss
The bond between Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss certainly represents one of Formula 1’s most endearing stories of mentorship. Moss, 18 years Fangio’s junior, revered the five-time champion, famously nicknaming him ‘Maestro’ and holding a respect for him akin to that for his father.
The relationship began with a moment of recognition – when the young Moss cleverly overtook Giuseppe Farina in his HWM at the 1950 non-championship Bari Grand Prix, Fangio drew alongside and “gave me a big grin, as if to say: ‘That was a bit cheeky!'”. The Argentine instantly recognised something special in the ambitious rookie.
With the timing of his move to the Mercedes-Benz team under scrutiny, the young Briton admitted there was only one reason for his decision: his overwhelming desire to learn from the master – an opportunity he described as “immeasurable.” Fangio, then 43 and already a three-time champion, took him under his wing like an older brother.
Despite being the clear number one, Fangio shared his wisdom freely. Moss, in turn, followed him relentlessly when on circuit, studying every nuance of the legend’s car control.
Their rivalry was rooted in deep friendship, perfectly captured at the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree. After Moss celebrated his maiden home win, he forever wondered if it was due to his idol graciously letting him pass — a scenario that embodied the profound respect that shaped their relationship.
Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio had huge respect for one another