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Bottas concludes deal with Mercedes

As largely anticipated, Valtteri Bottas has been officially named as Nico Rosberg's replacement and Lewis Hamilton's team mate at Mercedes for 2017.

The announcement puts an end to the month long saga surrounding Mercedes' line-up for this season and ties up loose ends at Williams and Sauber.

Bottas, a 27-year-old native from Nastola in Finland, kick started his Grand Prix career in 2013 with Williams, accumulating nine podium finishes and a fourth place finish in the world championship in 2014 as his best result.

Many have argued that Bottas has yet to show his true potential , having lacked at Williams a truly competitive car.

The 27-year-old will now have the opportunity to fully demonstrate his skills, at least for one year, the duration of his contract with the Silver Arrows squad.

"It's very exciting times for me," grinned Bottas at the official announcement.

"I think it's going to take a while to understand that this is really happening. It's definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history - especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive.

"I'm really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity.

"I've had a really warm welcome so far. Of course, I have a lot more people to meet and new faces to remember.

"But initially everything has felt very good. I'm really impressed with the facilities and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better.

My first experience with Mercedes power was in F3 back in 2009 and, of course, I know the Power Unit well from the last three years with Williams.

"But there are a lot of new things to learn with the car and also with how the team operates at the factory, in testing and at the races."
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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.