BREAKING: Mercedes Announce All British Hamilton-Russell F1 Lineup at Silverstone

Mercedes continue to dominate the headlines in the ongoing F1 season. After signing a contract extension with Lewis Hamilton till 2023, they have finally confirmed their second driver for the 2022 season.

Williams driver and Mercedes junior George Russell will replace Valtteri Bottas at the Silver Arrows for next season. This lineup will be the first all-British lineup for Mercedes in their history.

George Russell to race alongside Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes in 2022

The defending champions faced a unique situation at the beginning of the 2021 season. While Lewis Hamilton’s initial contract expired at the end of the season, Valtteri Bottas faced the same situation. However, Hamilton‘s contract extension at the Austrian Grand Prix meant the Silver Arrows only needed to confirm their second driver for 2022.

As we reported last month, Russell will replace Bottas at Mercedes for the 2022 season. With an eye towards the future, the Silver Arrows have now confirmed both drivers ahead of Russell‘s home race at Silverstone.

While Bottas’ struggles this season, Russell has been nothing short of impressive with Williams. In addition, the Briton’s one-off performance with Mercedes in last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix overshadowed Bottas. Despite finishing P9 in that race, Russell came within three-hundredths of pole position and led the race for several laps.

Where does Valtteri Bottas go from here?

With Bottas’ time at Mercedes coming to an end this season, options are running out thick and fast. However, many teams would not ignore the chance to snap up a driver with race winning experience.

Although six teams have confirmed their driver lineups for 2022, there are still opportunities for the Finn. While some rumors link him returning to Williams to replace Russell, Alfa Romeo could be another destination for the 31-year-old.

With 14 races to go, Bottas needs to make a strong case for himself to secure a seat for next season. Will the Finn remain in F1 next year? Only time will tell.

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