Valtteri Bottas is set to make a return to the Mercedes F1 team for the 2025 season following his departure from Sauber.
The soon-to-be Audi works team confirmed on Wednesday morning that both Bottas and his current Sauber teammate, Zhou Guanyu, will leave the Swiss squad at the end of the 2024 campaign.
Autosport reports Bottas has been in discussions with Mercedes for “several weeks”. Bottas reflected on his time with the team, saying:
“These past years have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments. I’m grateful for the experiences, trust, and support I’ve received every step of the way”.
“While it’s time to move on, I’ll always carry a piece of this team with me, and I look forward to what the future holds for us both.”
Sauber has already signed Formula 2 points leader Gabriel Bortoleto to complete their driver lineup for 2025, where he will join Nico Hulkenberg.
Despite leaving Sauber, Bottas is expected to remain in the F1 paddock. The 10-time Grand Prix winner is likely to return to Mercedes in a reserve driver role, according to reports from Lawrence Barretto. Autosport has confirmed that Bottas has been in talks with Mercedes for “several weeks.”
If an agreement is reached, the 35-year-old Finn would replace Mick Schumacher as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2025. Bottas would act as a backup to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton set to make a blockbuster move to Ferrari.
Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Bottas shared with F1TV that he would “consider” rejoining Mercedes, a team he drove for from 2017 to 2021.
“A situation like this is never easy for anyone,” Bottas said as his Sauber departure was confirmed.
“But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had over the past weeks, we realized the conditions to grow this project together were not met.”