Valtteri Bottas returns to Mercedes as third driver for 2025 F1 season after Sauber exit

Valtteri Bottas is returning to Mercedes as the team's new third driver for the 2025 season.

The experienced Finn has been left without a race seat on next year's Formula 1 grid after being released by Sauber and had been expected to return to Mercedes, where he won 10 races as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton from 2017 to 2021, in a back-up role.

Mick Schumacher was reserve driver at the team for the past two seasons but the German announced his exit last month to pursue other opportunities in motorsport.

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With Hamilton leaving the team for Ferrari, 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been handed the vacant race seat next to George Russell.

"I'm happy to finally answer the question I've posed over the past month. Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what's next and I couldn't be more pleased," said Bottas, who made clear over the closing weeks of the season his desire to a race seat in F1 from 2026.

"I want to thank Toto [Wolff], the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.

"Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I've still got so much more to contribute to F1. Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, 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.

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"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."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes' team principal, said he was delighted to see the popular Finn return, describing the 35-year-old's impact on the team during his first five years with them - a period in which they won the Constructors' Championship in every season - as "immense".

"His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward," added Wolff.

"Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.

"All those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track."

Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - No contract, cancel anytime

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