Valtteri Bottas is returning to Mercedes as the team's third new driver for the 2025 season.
The experienced Finn was left without a race seat on the Formula 1 grid next year after being released by Sauber and was set to return to Mercedes, where he won 10 races as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton from 2017 to 2021, in a back-up role.
Mick Schumacher has been the team's reserve driver for the past two seasons, but the German announced his departure last month to pursue other opportunities in motorsport.
With Hamilton leaving the team for Ferrari, 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been handed the vacant race seat alongside George Russell.
“I'm happy to finally answer the question I asked last month. Returning home to the Mercedes family as the third driver for 2025 is next and I couldn't be happier, “said Bottas, who made clear about it. the final weeks of the season his desire for a race seat in F1 from 2026.
“I want to thank Toto (Wolff), the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-point star for welcoming me back with open arms.
“Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know I still have a lot more to contribute to F1. Ever since I was a five-year-old growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on succeeding in the highest tier of motorsport.
“As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I look forward to using all the knowledge I have gained to help the team to ' performance and moving forward towards our goal of fighting for the world championships.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he was delighted to see the popular Finn return, describing the 35-year-old's impact on the team in the his first five years with them – a period in which they won the Builders Championship in each. season – as “big”.
“His technical feedback and input was important to help us with these successes and to push the team forward,” Wolff said.
“Not only that, but he was also a great colleague and team member. His dry sense of humor and personable nature made him very popular with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.
“All these features will be very important to help us compete for world championships and support George and Kimi along the way.”
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