Bottas Reveals 'What's Next' As He Announces Reserve Driver Contract With Mercedes
F1
Valtteri Bottas announced he will return to his former F1 team, Mercedes, starting in 2025 in the position of a reserve driver.
F1 fans received two big announcements on December 19th, 2024. First, we learned that Liam Lawson will become a Red Bull Racing driver, and then it was revealed that Valtteri Bottas will return to Mercedes!
The 36-year-old Finn has raced for Mercedes in the past, and he achieved amazing success with the team in the years 2017-2021, scoring 58 podiums and winning 10 Grand Prix victories and five Constrictors' Championships.
Bottas left the team at the end of 2021 as George Russell took his place in Mercedes. The number 77 driver decided to join Sauber, which he retrospectively regretted at the end of 2024.
The 36-year-old revealed that he was first promised big things by former Sauber team principal Fred Vasseur, who was promoted to Ferrari.
While he doesn't blame Vasseur, all of the big promises and plans were abandoned when the team principal left. Valtteri Bottas was then promised to be a cornerstone of the Audi project.
However, the German manufacturer ultimately chose different drivers, leaving the 36-year-old without a seat at the end of 2024.
As the 2024 season approached its end, Bottas started teasing his fans with multiple social media posts, using the slogan "What's next" as if he had an announcement coming.
Now, we finally know what's next as the former Sauber driver announced he will be returning to Mercedes in the role of a reserve driver. He said:
"Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what's next and I couldn't be more pleased."
"Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I've still got so much more to contribute to F1."
"Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport."
"I've been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far."
"As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I'm looking forward to using all the knowledge."
"I've gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships."
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