Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas has revealed that he has been in talks with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff for a long time for a potential reserve driver role for 2025, but the specifics of the role are yet to be decided. Bottas raced for Mercedes from 2017 to 2022, and an opportunity with his former team could be the Finn’s last chance to stay in Formula 1.
Bottas made a strong push to extend his contract with Sauber beyond 2024, ahead of its full transition to becoming the Audi works team in 2026. Despite his efforts, the team opted to sign F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto to partner with F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg. With a full-time racing opportunity unavailable for the 2025 season, Bottas has reportedly initiated discussions with Mercedes to explore alternative possibilities.
The Sauber driver acknowledged the ongoing discussions and thanked Mercedes for offering him a role when there seemed to be no other opportunity elsewhere on the F1 grid. He told the media:
“We’ve been talking for quite a long time, but I want to see all of the options.
“If I look at it, there are many positive things about it, and being back in the Mercedes family, it is a great team, a great brand.
“It creates lots of opportunities for the future and it is a really solid option for me, and actually, I’m really thankful that they are willing to take me in.”
When asked how he would be positioned for the role, he said:
“That is the thing, that if you don’t go to all the races, and something happens [to Russell or Antonelli] and you are not there, you don’t get [to race].
“So it is these kinds of things I still need to think about and speak with them and try to figure out what is next.”
The statements from Bottas arrive days after Wolff revealed his eagerness to have him back in the “family.” Speaking to Viaplay, as reported by Motorsport.com, he said:
“Nothing is signed, nothing is done, but if we were to have him back in the family, we all we would be all full of joy.
“I mean, what you can say is that if you have the opportunity in having a pilot like Valtteri back in the Mercedes family, with his ability, with his most recent experience of these modern cars, you can deem yourself super lucky.”
When asked how keen he was to have Bottas in the team, the Mercedes chief said:
“Very much. You know negotiations at the end, lawyers always want to make contracts fail! I’m joking, they are great lawyers, and it’s a matter of time.”
