Valtteri Bottas returns to Mercedes as reserve driver for 2025 F1 season after Sauber exit | F1 Information

Valtteri Bottas returns to Mercedes because the crew’s new reserve driver for the 2025 season.

The skilled Finn discovered himself with no seat on the Method 1 grid subsequent 12 months after being launched by Sauber and was anticipated to return to Mercedes, the place he received 10 races as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate from 2017 to 2021.

Bottas replaces Mick Schumacher as reserve driver after the German introduced his departure from the crew final month to pursue different alternatives in motorsport.

With Hamilton leaving the crew for Ferrari, 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli was given the vacant racing seat alongside George Russell.

“I am completely happy to lastly be capable of reply the query I requested final month. Coming residence to the Mercedes household because the third driver for 2025 is the subsequent step and I could not be happier,” Bottas mentioned .

“I wish to thank Toto [Wolff]the Brackley crew and everybody below the three-pointed star for welcoming me with open arms.

“Regardless of the challenges of current years, I do know I nonetheless have quite a bit to carry to F1. Since I used to be 5 years previous and rising up in Nastola, Finland, I’ve been targeted on reaching success. ” On the highest degree of motorsport, I’ve been lucky to expertise many unbelievable moments throughout my 12 years of racing in F1.

“As I return to the place the place so many of those moments had been made, I look ahead to utilizing all of the information I’ve gained to assist the crew carry out and progress in direction of our purpose of combating for the world championships.”

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