Valtteri Bottas returns to Mercedes as their 2025 reserve driver

Credit: Joe Portlock

Multiple Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas has moved onto his next adventure as he has signed with Mercedes to become their reserve driver for 2025 - the team confirmed on Thursday morning.

Bottas will be without a seat on the Formula One grid for the first time since his rookie season in 2013, and has departed Kick Sauber after three seasons with the team as they look to transition to become Audi fully from 2026 onwards. 

The 35-year old will be the reserve driver for Mercedes for the 2025 campaign, and will return to the Brackley-based outfit since leaving the Mercedes team at the end of the 2021 season.

Bottas had a very successful stint as Mercedes won five Constructors Championships in five seasons, and he was teammate to Sir Lewis Hamilton, who won four out of the five drivers' championships that Bottas was at the team for.

It was announced on Thursday morning that indeed Bottas would not be out of the Formula One paddock for 2025 and would instead take up the reserve driver role with the team that will see a new lineup of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli take centre stage.

The signing was announced by Mercedes and Formula 1 media and following which Bottas put out a statement on his social media about him signing for Mercedes and returning to the team to become their reserve driver for 2025.

This comes after a month-long question that Bottas has had been parading on his social media and has even had the question on merchandise, which is "What's next?"

Bottas said: "I'm finally happy to answer the question I've posed over the past month. Returning home to Mercedes 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-point star for welcoming me back with open arms."

The driver from Finland concluded by saying: "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 these moments were achieved, I'm looking forward to using all the knowledge I have gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes CEO and Team Principal published a statement with Mercedes that concluded by saying: "Welcome home Valtteri! It's great to have you back."

Bottas will be hoping to be an important member of Mercedes' progression back towards the top of Formula One ahead of the new regulations to come in for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Brandon Whiteside
​Writer - F1 Journal