Valtteri Bottas wouldn’t say “no” to returning to Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s successor, even if the Finn insists his project is a top priority for the future Audi team.
Hamilton announced his surprise move to Ferrari for 2025 last week, meaning Mercedes will need a successor alongside George Russell next year.
A possible name would of course be Bottas, who drove for the Silver Arrows for five years from 2017 to 2021 before he had to make way for Russell and then went to Alfa Romeo, where he will also drive in 2024 – just under a different team name.
He was even in Brackley the day before the announcement, as shown in an Instagram story. But he was not at the Mercedes factory that is located there. “I did a few other things there,” says the Sauber driver and also emphasizes that he hasn’t spoken to team boss Toto Wolff on the phone yet.
The Austrian was previously part of the Finn’s management and brought him from Williams to Mercedes in 2017 after Nico Rosberg surprisingly announced his retirement from Formula 1.
Bottas drove alongside Hamilton for five years, but was repeatedly only given one-year contracts and, after leaving Mercedes, finally found a new home in Hinwil, which is currently preparing for Audi to join the team from 2026.
His current focus is on this project, and his goal is to still be on board. “But if that didn’t happen, then there’s no team I wouldn’t maybe go to,” he says. The tablecloth with Mercedes is not cut either. “I know my priorities and I have my list.”
Bottas was also surprised that his former team-mate could one day leave Mercedes and move to Ferrari: “I could never have imagined that this would happen,” he says. “But I’m happy for him because it’s good for him.”
“It’s a big challenge and I’m sure he’s extremely motivated to get Ferrari to the top,” said the Ferrari driver. “So it’s cool and will definitely bring some movement to the driver market, which will be good for the sport and also for some drivers.”
The driver market has been fairly stable recently. For the first time in Formula 1 history, there was not a single driver change over the winter. In addition, Lando Norris at McLaren and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari were given long-term contracts in January. Max Verstappen will be at Red Bull for another five years anyway.
Hamilton’s move inevitably brings movement to the market. “At the moment it is difficult to predict how it will turn out,” said Bottas.