Mercedes confirms Bottas as reserve driver for 2025

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As expected, Valtteri Bottas will rejoin the Mercedes-AMG F1 team as the outfit's official reserve driver for the 2025 season.

The announcement marks a return to Brackley for the Finn who raced alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, claiming all of his ten career wins in F1 with the three-pointed star team and contributing to his five consecutive Constructors' World Championships during this period.

After a three-year stint with Sauber, Bottas will return home to provide crucial support to the Mercedes team next season, sharing his wealth of experience and technical insights.

The 35-year-old's role as reserve driver will involve simulator work, track testing, and offering valuable feedback to the team's engineers and drivers, George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli.

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Bottas, who endured a challenging final season with Sauber, expressed his excitement about returning to Mercedes where he has been welcomed back “with open arms.”

“I want to thank Toto, the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms,” he said.

"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.

“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 was equally enthusiastic about Bottas' homecoming of sorts, highlighting Finn's significant contributions during his previous tenure.

“His impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver was immense,” commented Wolff.

“Along with scoring multiple Grands Prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories.

“His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward. Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member.

“His dry sense of humor and personable nature made him a firm favorite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.

“In his role as Reserve Driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track."

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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.