Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has made an audacious claim, just a few days after Lewis Hamilton dropped a bombshell by announcing that he would be leaving for Ferrari in 2025. Since the seven-time champion would be moving to Maranello next year, the Silver Arrows are looking for a replacement. One name that had initially propped up in discussions was that of Alex Albon. However, with the Thai driver now pulling out of the race, Bottas has revealed how he is open to returning to Mercedes.
When asked about whether a return to Mercedes is on the cards, Bottas replied (as quoted by motorsport.com), “It’s no lie, I was in Brackley the day before actually. Not at the Mercedes factory, but I was there doing some other stuff. No, we haven’t spoken on the phone yet with Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss]. And if I would go back, yeah…”
The Finnish driver then added that while his current focus is on Sauber and the Audi project, he is open to returning to Mercedes if things do not go as planned over the next year. Bottas then also added that there are “no burned bridges” with Wolff and Mercedes and that they still shared a strong relationship.
What are the chances of Valtteri Bottas returning to Mercedes?
Valtteri Bottas is currently in the perfect position to make a move to another team as his contract with Alfa Romeo expires at the end of the 2024 season. The Finnish driver spent five years at Mercedes from 2017-21 and is well aware of how the team operates.
Bottas’ experience could prove invaluable for Mercedes as they will not have to spend too much time helping the 34-year-old settle down. However, Bottas’ past record at Mercedes may not do him any favors.
The Finnish driver partnered Hamilton for five seasons and in none of those campaigns, he ever came close to beating the seven-time world champion. In these five years, Hamilton won a total of 50 races. Meanwhile, Bottas just won 10.
Another reason why Mercedes may be hesitant to sign Bottas is because of his past relationship with their current driver, George Russell. Since Russell was the one who replaced Bottas, the two drivers have not seen eye to eye. Moreover, the tensions between the two have also been evident on the race track.
The two drivers had an infamous collision at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Both drivers were fighting for tenth on that occasion when they had a high-speed collision at the Tamburello curve.
A big crash for Bottas and Russell in 2021 #ImolaGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/rxugTuQxA4
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2023
Since it was such a high-speed crash, both drivers unsurprisingly blamed each other in the immediate aftermath. However, when the dust settled, Russell took the blame for the incident.
The only concern that the Briton had was that Bottas did not answer his call, and as a result, he has yet not received closure for the moment. Since such is the history between the two, Mercedes will most likely not want to deal with such a situation again.
