F1: Valterri Bottas goes back to Mercedes as reserve driver

FILE–Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – June 30, 2022 Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas ahead of the Grand Prix. REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Valtteri Bottas is rejoining Mercedes as a reserve driver in the 2025 Formula One season.

Bottas won 10 races with Mercedes as a teammate of Lewis Hamilton from 2017-21. In 2022, he joined Alfa Romeo — which became the Sauber team — when Mercedes passed him over in favor of George Russell.

READ: F1: Mick Schumacher leaves Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas in talks

The 35-year-old Bottas finished 22nd in the driver standings in 2024, failing to score a point. Bottas, from Finland, parted ways with the Sauber team earlier this month following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He joins Russell and 18-year-old newcomer Kimi Antonelli on the 2025 team with hopes of a full-time driver spot with a team in 2026. Antonelli takes over for Hamilton, who departed for Ferrari.

Hamilton and Bottas together won five constructors’ championships for Mercedes.

READ: F1: Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu to leave Sauber at end of season

“Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what’s next and I couldn’t be more pleased,” Bottas said.

“Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1,” he added. “Since I was a 5-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.” –Field Level Media