December 19, (THEWILL)Former Mercedes driver, Valtteri Bottas, will return to the Brackley-based team for 2025, accepting the role of reserve driver following his departure from Sauber. The announcement came on Thursday, marking a significant shift in the Finnish driver’s Formula One career.
Bottas, who raced alongside Lewis Hamilton from 2017 to 2021, achieved considerable success during his initial tenure with Mercedes, recording 10 Grand Prix victories and 58 podium finishes. His contributions proved instrumental in helping the team capture five championship titles during this period.
“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,” Bottas said in a statement. The 35-year-old Finnish driver added: “I want to thank Toto (Wolff), the team at Brackley and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.”
Team Principal, Toto Wolff, acknowledged Bottas’s previous contributions, stating: “Valtteri’s 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.”
The announcement follows significant changes at Mercedes, with George Russell partnering incoming 18-year-old Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 season. This driver lineup modification comes after Lewis Hamilton’s decision to transfer to Ferrari, creating an opportunity for Bottas’s return in a supporting role.
Following a challenging period at Sauber, where Bottas finished 10th in his initial season but failed to score points in 2024, the team confirmed his departure alongside Zhou Guanyu last month. Sauber, preparing for its transformation into an Audi factory team in 2026, has selected Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for its 2025 campaign.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
