Valtteri Bottas has been Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes ever since Nico Rosberg retired from Formula 1 after winning the 2016 F1 World Championship. Bottas, the current driver for the Stake F1 Team, has had the longest tenure as Hamilton’s teammate. With the news of Hamilton joining Ferrari starting in 2025, Bottas is considering his options for the upcoming silly season.
The Finnish driver has achieved 10 victories during his partnership with Hamilton from 2017 to 2021. Bottas previously expressed disbelief at the idea of Hamilton moving to Scuderia Ferrari, but he is now open to the possibility of reuniting with his former team.
Bottas is known for being a reliable and consistent driver, holding the record for the most consecutive appearances in Q3 in F1 history. Initially expected to stay with Sauber (now Stake) until their transition to Audi in 2026, the changing landscape of F1 may lead to a potential return to Mercedes for Bottas.
Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017 after Rosberg’s retirement, becoming the team’s rear gunner to prevent any clashes between Hamilton and Rosberg. Prior to joining Mercedes, Bottas was considered one of the fastest drivers in F1 and even received interest from other teams, including Ferrari.
Feeling that his potential was being wasted at Mercedes, especially with the arrival of George Russell, Bottas made the decision to switch to Alfa Romeo Sauber (now Stake F1 Team). However, he now contemplates the possibility of returning to his previous team with newfound confidence.
In other news, Carlos Sainz expresses no concerns about his future in F1 despite the impending arrival of Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025. Meanwhile, an ex-F1 team owner shares that he would have preferred Carlos Sainz over Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
