Who was your first hero when you were a child?
Valtteri Bottas: Clearly Mika Hakkinen. When he won his titles.
What was the first Grand Prix you can remember watching?
VB: I was definitely watching races before this, but what sticks in my memory is Hakkinen's race win in Jerez in 1997 - the race when Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve collided and Villeneuve won the title. That race I remember really well.
How old were you when you first decided you wanted to be an F1 driver?
VB: I was six years old. It was when I started to race go-karts and knew: this is for me. From there, aiming for Formula One was almost natural.
When was your first big accident in a race car?
VB: I remember very well: it was the first lap of my first go-kart race. I hit the barriers because I didn't know that you have to brake. But the next time I learned!
What colour was your first helmet?
VB: It was black with some stickers - an off-the-shelf helmet.
When did you win your first trophy in racing and what did it look like?
VB: It was quite a small gold pot. I still have it - I keep it with pride.
What was the first road car you drove?
VB: It was my dad's Honda Civic. It was a pretty old car, so my dad let me drive it.
Where was the first house you lived in?
VB: It was in Villähde and we lived there until I was six years old - my parents still live in the same town.
How nervous were you on your first day of school?
VB: Pretty nervous, because it makes a kid nervous when you don't know what to expect!
What was the first meal you ever cooked?
VB: I've made some sandwiches, baked some bread with my mum.
What was the first thing you did this morning?
VB: Drunk a bottle of water. I do this every morning.
What was the first thing you did after getting your first F1 drive?
VB: Called my dad, my girlfriend and my mum.
What was the first record you bought?
VB: It was Americana by The Offspring.
What was the first sport you participated in as a kid?
VB: Football - but I didn't like it. Then I started ice hockey, before finally coming to karting.
When was your first romantic kiss?
VB: I was less than ten years old. It was a school thing, and not really romantic - just trying out how this one feels.
When was the first time you were asked to sign an autograph for a fan?
VB: I think it was at the end of my karting career - when I was racing in the world championship series.
When did you first taste champagne?
VB: Pretty young - 12 or 13 - at a karting prize giving.
Which would you eat first - a piece of fruit or a piece of chocolate?
VB: A piece of fruit, sure. It's better for you, isn't it?
What was the first word you said as a baby?
VB: I have no idea. I was never told - but it's not rocket science to imagine that it was either mummy or daddy.