Valtteri Bottas nears a return to Mercedes in reserve role for 2025

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish Formula 1 driver with a commendable track record of ten career victories, is on the brink of rejoining Mercedes, albeit in a different capacity than before. After a significant shuffle in the drivers' market left him without a seat for the 2025 season, Bottas is now in advanced discussions with Mercedes for the position of reserve driver, a role soon to be vacated by Mick Schumacher.

Mercedes, having solidified their 2025 lineup with George Russell and the promising newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli, finds its reserve slot open—an opportunity Bottas is eager to fill. "We're talking and, yes, it's going well," Bottas shared, acknowledging the ongoing negotiations. "There's still a bit of work to do, but we're talking."

Bottas's history with Mercedes, marked by all of his F1 wins, underscores a potentially smooth transition back into the team’s fold. His tenure from 2017 to 2021, racing alongside Lewis Hamilton, was fruitful, making a reserve role at Mercedes seem like a homecoming.

Despite his current situation, Bottas’s ambitions in F1 have not dimmed. He views the reserve driver role not as a demotion, but as a strategic step, keeping him in the mix for potential race seats in 2026. "The priority for me still Formula 1, I feel like I'm not done yet with this sport," he expressed, pointing to the entrance of a Cadillac-backed team by General Motors in 2026 as a catalyst for new opportunities.

Bottas’s proactive approach also includes reaching out to the new Cadillac team, hinting at his resolve to stay within the Formula 1 arena. This expansion of the grid to 22 drivers and the anticipation of regulatory changes in 2026 opens a new chapter of possibilities for drivers like Bottas, seeking to remain pivotal in the sport.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, seems optimistic about welcoming Bottas back, stating his team would be "full of joy" to have the Finnish driver in a reserve capacity. Bottas reciprocates this sentiment but opts for patience, suggesting a final decision will likely come after the current season concludes. "There's still a bit of work to do to finalize some things and it's been a while that I'm now in the situation that I can decide, yes or no on some few different things now," Bottas reflected.

As F1 prepares for a significant overhaul in 2026, with new teams entering and extensive testing schedules planned by tyre supplier Pirelli, Bottas's potential involvement in testing activities underscores his commitment to staying actively engaged in the sport. His stance reflects a broader aspiration not just to participate but to influence and contribute to the evolution of Formula 1 in the years to come.

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