Red Bull employee claims new Mercedes signing didn’t really ‘show anything all year’ in 2024

Mercedes will undergo major changes in their 2025 driver line-up after the departure of Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion will be joining Ferrari next season after 12 record-breaking years with the Silver Arrows. Hamilton waved an emotional farewell to the Mercedes factory recently ahead of his switch to F1’s most successful team in 2025.

His Mercedes teammate George Russell will act as the team’s new leader after Hamilton’s exit. The 27-year-old outscored the fellow Brit in 2024, finishing 23 points ahead in sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Hamilton’s replacement will be Italian sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will make the step up from Formula 2 after an incredible junior career.

There will be a lot of pressure on the 18-year-old to deliver results as he is racing for one of the top teas in the sport. Antonelli says it is ‘really important’ to have fun in his first season and try not to overcomplicate things in what will be a learning year.

Mercedes have signed Valtteri Bottas as their reserve driver for 2025 to provide some experience for their relatively young driver pairing. The Finn will replace Mick Schumacher after the German left the team to commit his future to Alpine in the World Endurance Championship,

Rudy van Buren says Valtteri Bottas did not show ‘anything all year’ with Sauber in 2024

Bottas returns to Mercedes after three disappointing years with Sauber (previously Alfa Romeo in 2022 and 2023). After scoring 49 points in 2022, the Swiss outfit have regressed in performance over the last couple of seasons, with 2024 being a dismal year.

Sauber finished last in the Constructors’ Championship with just four points – which were scored by Zhou Guanyu at the Qatar Grand Prix with an impressive eighth. Bottas failed to score a point all season – the only full-time driver who finished the season to do so.

While the C44 did show signs of improvement in the final few races of the year, with Bottas making it to Q3 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it was a miserable season for the 35-year-old and he and teammate Zhou will leave the team in 2025 to make way for Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Speaking on the Motorsport.com Nederland YouTube channel, Red Bull sim driver Rudy van Buren says that Bottas did not show ‘anything all year’ in 2024 ahead of his return to Mercedes.

When asked who was his flop of the season, he said: “Well I think you cannot ignore Sargeant. The fact that you are thrown out while the hand above your head has been kept over for quite a long time. We can’t avoid that there.

“I think if you also look to a Bottas for example, that is also someone who has not really shown anything all year.

“Yes Abu Dhabi qualification, Bottas can still do it, then in the race he throws it away again with that braking action [on] Magnussen.”

Could Valtteri Bottas return to a full-time seat in the future?

Bottas will provide great experience to Mercedes in 2025, as well as a familiar face. The Finn raced with the team from 2017-2021 as Hamilton’s teammate, winning 10 races.

The 35-year-old will be a good option to call upon if Russell or Antonelli falls ill – or maybe if the latter cannot perform in his debut season – as Bottas knows the team well and still has some strong performances left in him.

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin

While a move to Mercedes in a full-time seat is unlikely, his time as their reserve driver will set him up nicely in preparation for the 2026 season, where he will certainly be eyeing a return to the grid.

Bottas has already had discussions with Cadillac, who are set to become the 11th team on the grid in 2026. The American brand are searching for an experienced driver to join their line-up when they enter the sport, which the Finn fits perfectly with his 246 race starts.