Following his return to Mercedes as a reserve driver for the F1 2025 season, Valtteri Bottas has announced his commitment to participate in every race. His reappointment to Mercedes comes after his departure from Sauber at the close of 2024. Despite his current position as the third driver, Bottas has voiced aspirations to reclaim a spot on the grid in 2026 if given the opportunity.
Unlike other teams such as Ferrari, which rotates multiple reserve drivers in a season, Bottas is determined to attend every race of the 2025 season. Ferrari is set to call upon Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu, Bottas’ ex-Sauber colleague, as reserve drivers in 2025, while Alpine has confirmed Franco Colapinto, Paul Aron, and Ryo Hirakawa as their reserves for the upcoming season.
In his new role, Bottas expressed his intent to provide full support to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, his teammates at Mercedes. He plans to do this by leveraging his experience and skills from other roles, while also conducting personal race testing to keep his skills sharp.
Bottas unveiled the specifics of his new role in an open letter on Mercedes’ website, where he revealed that his previous seat still fits him perfectly from his earlier stint. As the third driver, Bottas will be involved with everything related to the performance both on and off the track.
“Whether it’s set-up or driving, I’ll be trying to use my experience to contribute to this great team,” he wrote. Bottas plans to immerse himself in data analysis, keenly observing Russell and Antonelli’s onboards, and providing an extra pair of eyes. He’s also hopeful of getting some driving and testing done.
His role extends beyond the race track. At the factory, he’ll be spending significant time in the simulator, contributing to the development work for the W16. He is already getting accustomed to the new vehicle and the plans for the season. “I spent Valentine’s Day doing a seat fit. It was love at second sight! Turns out, my old seat from 2021 still fits just fine,” he humorously remarked.
In addition to his racing responsibilities, Bottas will also participate in marketing and partner days. Fans can also expect to see more of him on social media, particularly on TikTok. “I think we’ll have some fun moments on social media this year, so keep your eyes peeled!” he said.
In essence, Bottas’s return to Mercedes promises an exciting season ahead, with the experienced driver committing to contribute extensively to the team’s performance while also keeping fans engaged through social media interactions.
