Valtteri Bottas won’t leave the Formula 1 paddock as Mercedes confirmed that he will be the team’s third driver for the next season.
The former Sauber driver is not a new face in Brackley, as he drove for the Silver Arrows from 2017 to 2021, scoring a total of 10 wins.
“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.”
Bottas also added that, despite having struggled a bit in the past few seasons, he still believes he can give something more to the sport.
“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 perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships.”
The Finnish will probably be a key figure in helping Andrea Kimi Antonelli in his first year in Formula 1, given his incredible experience in the sport.