Bottas offers himself a rally debut for the new year!

©Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas will make his rally debut next month, the Finn taking part in the Arctic Lapland Rally at the wheel of a WRC-spec Ford Fiesta.

The Mercedes driver's wingman at the three-day event that will take place from January 24 to 26 will be Timo Rautiainen, the man who partnered Marcus Grönholm to two world championships in 2000 and 2002.

"This is a unique opportunity to take a peek into the world of rallying," said the three-time Grand Prix winner.

"It’s totally new territory for me too, as I have no prior experience of a World Rally Car. Still, being the race car driver that I am, you always go flat out whatever the vehicle you’re driving in!"

Bottas plans to 'drive like I stole it' in 2019

In preparation of his rally debut with Rautiainen, Bottas will enjoy a two-day test in the Fiesta before the event.

"It’s a big challenge because Valtteri has never driven in a rally before so he doesn’t know anything about pace notes," Rautiainen told WRC.com.

"The biggest challenge for him will be to understand the idea of pace notes and selecting a suitable system.

"We’ll look at onboard videos and the system used by different drivers before choosing, but it has to be a simple method."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.