Valtteri Bottas to rejoin Mercedes as reserve driver for 2025 season
Valtteri Bottas is set to return to Mercedes in 2025 as a reserve driver, after failing to secure a seat in Formula 1 for the upcoming season. The Finnish driver, who previously partnered with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, will rejoin the team following his stint at Sauber, where he faced challenging seasons from 2022 to 2024.
Bottas' departure from Sauber, soon to be rebranded as Audi in 2026, came after the Swiss team opted to sign Nico Hülkenberg and Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 season. Mercedes, now preparing for Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, will feature George Russell and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli as their main drivers, with Bottas providing crucial support in his new role.
Bottas took to social media with the campaign "What's next?" to hint at his future plans, which he also used to sell merchandise for a charitable cause. He finally revealed his next steps, saying, "I'm happy to finally answer the question I've posed over the past month. Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what's next and I couldn't be more pleased. I want to thank Toto, the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms."
Reflecting on his F1 journey, Bottas added, "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."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed his enthusiasm about Bottas' return, stating, "Welcome home, Valtteri! It's great to have you back. His impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver was immense. Along with scoring multiple Grands Prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories. His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward. Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth."
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloWolff emphasized the importance of Bottas' new role, adding, "In his role as reserve driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track."
As Bottas prepares to rejoin the Mercedes team, fans and colleagues alike will surely anticipate the valuable experience and support he will bring in the next chapter of his Formula 1 career.
