Last December, Mercedes completed its full Formula 1 driver lineup when the team announced that Valtteri Bottas was returning as its reserve driver.
Bottas had spent five seasons in Brackley, helping the team secure five consecutive Constructors’ Championships. When Mercedes signed young George Russell to drive for the team ahead of the 2022 season, it put Bottas on a path to Alfa Romeo, which then rebranded as Sauber, for the next three seasons. But with Sauber signing Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto for 2025, Bottas needed a new role, one he found with his former team.
When the move was announced, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said this in part: “Along
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