Valtteri Bottas’ chances of making a return to the F1 grid could increase, as the Finn’s reserve role at Mercedes could yet see his duties expanded.

With Bottas unable to find a race seat for the F1 2025 season, the Finn has signed a deal to return to Mercedes as the Brackley-based team’s reserve driver.

Valtteri Bottas set for McLaren reserve driver role?

Bottas raced for Mercedes between 2017 and ’21, becoming a reliable performer for the World Champion team as he racked up a record 103 consecutive Q3 appearances and secured the championship runner-up spot in 2019 and ’20.

Bottas was succeeded by George Russell after 2021 with Mercedes opting to keep an eye on its future by promoting the promising British youngster, while the Finn headed off to pastures new by joining the Alfa Romeo/Sauber team.

The performance of the Hinwil-based team rarely proved competitive, however, and Bottas finished the F1 2024 season without a point for the first time in his career. With Sauber making changes as it hired Nico Hulkenberg alongside Gabriel Bartoleto ahead of its takeover by Audi, Bottas was left in the cold and seeking a fresh start elsewhere.

Given the lateness of the confirmation, Bottas was left with few options and has put pen to paper on a return to Brackley to become Mercedes’ reserve driver.

This role will see him on hand to step in if either Russell or rookie driver Kimi Antonelli proves unable to take part in a race, while Mercedes also has the safety net of having the Finn on hand if the gamble of promoting Antonelli proves too soon for the Italian rookie – something Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo has eloquently (!) referred to as Mercedes “covering their arse”.

With Bottas in place at Mercedes, the Finn may also be a reserve option for Mercedes’ power unit supply customer teams.

In 2024, Mercedes’ reserve driver Mick Schumacher was made available to Williams and McLaren as part of a sharing arrangement. McLaren did have official reserve drivers Ryo Hirakawa and Pato O’Ward, while Williams did not have an official reserve driver – but both would have been able to call upon Mercedes and Schumacher if desired.

Williams has not yet appointed a reserve driver for the F1 2025 season, while McLaren is likely to have IndyCar star O’Ward available in its pool once again.

While it’s understood no arrangement is yet in place, Bottas could be made available as an option for both Williams and McLaren if the same sharing model is repeated this season.

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While Bottas may have reached the end of the road as a race driver in Formula 1, the Finn isn’t closing the door on this chapter in his life just yet as he’s targeting a return to the grid.

One distinct possibility for Bottas could be at the burgeoning Cadillac team, which has secured an agreement in principle to join the grid next season. Now operated by team boss Graeme Lowdon, Bottas’ experience and reliable performance level may make him a very attractive prospect for the American squad in its early days.

“Well, there’s going to be two more seats,” Bottas told RacingNews365 in December.

“They need drivers, they need experience. So, of course, that’s very, very interesting.

“We have good relations with Graeme. I don’t think it makes it more difficult for me, if anything, he’s seen what I can do and bring to the team. So I see that as a possibility.”

For now, Bottas’ new F1 home is at Mercedes, where his past tenure saw him become a beloved member of the Brackley squad, as he also secured personal success with 10 Grand Prix wins and 67 podium finishes.

“Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1,” Bottas said upon his return.

“Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport. I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far.

“As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships.”

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