Mercedes Formula team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has hinted at Valtteri Bottas securing a full-time seat in the championship, as he backed the Finnish driver for a return.
Bottas previously drove for the Brackley outfit between 2017 and 2021 where he raced alongside seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. After a three-year stint with Alfa Romeo/Sauber, his contract was not renewed and he returned to Mercedes to become the team’s reserve driver for 2025.
While Wolff claimed he was happy to have the 35-year-old back in the team, he argued that he deserves to be in a full-time racing seat.
“Obviously, Valtteri has been part of the Mercedes family for a long, long time,” Wolff explained during a Mercedes debrief video.
“He is a driver where, if some of our drivers had fish poisoning, you put him in the car and he’s going to be absolutely on pace. That’s great to know – that your reserve and third driver is as quick as it gets.
“Obviously, with Valtteri, he deserves a race seat. Hopefully, that door is going to open. Watch this space.”
Bottas has been linked to talks with the Cadillac F1 team, which is preparing for its debut in 2026. The American outfit is yet to announce its driver line-up, but team principal Graeme Lowdon recently confirmed talks with multiple drivers.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
“Everyone wants to prove something else again,” Lowdon explained on the High Performance podcast. “I never look at that as the biggest motivator. Our team is not there as a vehicle for someone to prove a point. Our team is there to provide a position on the pitch, if you like. For someone to prove what they can do for sure, but it’s not the vehicle to show the world, prove a point or whatever.
“The driver is there to do the best that they possibly can for their team, and they should be motivated for the team around them as well. So, I’m less keen on people who kind of want to prove a personal point.”
He added: “Every single person, every name that you’re going to read out, we’re talking to everyone because everyone wants the drive.”
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
