Valtteri Bottas will return to Mercedes as its Formula One reserve driver for the 2025 season.
Bottas, 35, spent five seasons racing for Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, scoring 10 race wins and helping the team win the constructors’ championship each year before leaving for Sauber.
After losing his Sauber seat for 2025 and dropping off the F1 grid, the Finn had been in talks with Mercedes about a potential reserve role.
Mercedes announced on Thursday that Bottas had signed as its reserve driver for next year, returning to Brackley, U.K., in support of race drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Mick Schumacher, who had served as the team’s reserve driver since 2023, announced his departure from the team in November.
“Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what’s next, and I couldn’t be more pleased,” Bottas said. “I want to thank Toto (Wolff), the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.
“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.”
Bottas has been teasing the question, ‘What’s next?’ across his social media channels for the past month after learning he will not be staying with Sauber for next year. He even got a permanent tattoo of the phrase on his leg.
Despite feeling talks had been heading in a positive direction over the summer, Bottas was left without a seat as the team opted for an all-new driver lineup, pairing veteran Nico Hülkenberg with 2024 Formula Two champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
Bottas was in contention for seats at Williams and Alpine in 2025, only for both teams to opt for alternative options.
The return to Bottas to Mercedes sees him reunite with the team that gave him his biggest moments in F1, twice finishing as runner-up in the world championship to teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Wolff said Bottas’ “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 humor and personable nature made him a firm favorite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.
“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.”
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