Will Valtteri Bottas’ Return to Partner Lewis Hamilton Solve Mercedes’ 2nd Seat Paradox?

Many would’ve questioned what Mercedes was thinking when they separated one of the most successful duos in Formula 1 history. During his time at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas was a perfect wingman to Lewis Hamilton. The pair dominated the sport from Bottas’ first year with the Brackley-based outfit till the very last, except for the 2021 Drivers’ Championship. The pair of them got along very well and became friends off the track as well. Their understanding also contributed to Mercedes‘ dominance because, without it, there would always be discord and perhaps Bottas wouldn’t have accepted the team orders as easily as he did.

The Finn was fast enough to stay competitive in almost every race and secure wins but he was also comfortably behind Hamilton in overall pace. Admission of your teammate, your biggest and first rival, being faster than you is not in the DNA of an F1 driver. However, Valtteri Bottas accepted it, made peace with it, and again, kept the team in harmony. However, right when he accepted this scenario, he was replaced by George Russell. In this piece, we will give our perspective on whether that was the right move from Mercedes and if there is a possibility of the Finn rejoining Mercedes.

Can Valtteri Bottas rejoin Mercedes to solve the second seat paradox?

Let’s first talk about the second-seat paradox that every championship-winning/capable team faces. This is the paradox where one driver is capable and able to win the Drivers’ Championship whilst the other believes they can. This often creates friction between drivers as they start challenging each other on the track. However, this wasn’t the case when Bottas was at Mercedes. Intially? Perhaps! But not after Bottas accepted his position in the team and started working toward the collective goal.

This hasn’t been the case in the last two years, especially because of the admission of the dynamic and determined George Russell. Russell is young, ambitious, and has all the qualities of winning a championship. This aspirational side of him is evident in his dissatisfaction with team orders during races. This is perhaps fueled by his performance in his first season with the Brackley outfit. However, in 2023, Hamilton took control back in 2023 and beat Russell outright in overall performance.

However, this doesn’t mean we will not see scenarios like we saw in Japan again, where the two raced hard enough to almost make contact and end each other’s race. This clash of ego often translates to on-track action and it’s never favorable for two drivers from one team racing each other. We all know how it turned out with Nico Rosberg, don’t we?

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This is exactly why Bottas fit perfectly in the second Mercedes seat and if the Brackley outfit manufactures a race-winning car that can fight for the championship, will we see Bottas don the Mercedes overalls once again?

We don’t think so. We can’t think of a scenario where Bottas replaces the future of Mercedes, i.e. George Russell. On the contrary, we need to give Russell time to accept his role if Hamilton is constantly beating him because even Bottas took four years to accept his second driver role. However, even if there is no option, there is a desire in both Bottas and some others to see him at Mercedes again.

Valtteri Bottas reveals his desire to fight at the front again with his desire backed by an F1 expert

Bottas moved from the best team in the sport to the second-best team from the bottom. Alfa Romeo has had its share of problems, but when Bottas got the call, he accepted the challenge for the first time and became a leader of a team in five years. In fact, this was the first time in years that the Finn signed a multi-year contract and felt a sense of security. The Swiss team valued Bottas, and there is a part of him that appreciates this treatment. However, as quoted by Grande Premio, there is also a part of him that misses the Mercedes glory days.

He said, “Of course, I miss being at the front, I really want to get back on the podium. But, at the same time, I allowed and agreed to join this project. And the feeling of reward comes from achieving unique goals. Yes, sometimes it can be a point, which is not the same as winning, but when you are in that situation when you are okay with the goals you have, you can deal with it.”

However, he isn’t the only one who wants to see him at the front, and specifically back with Mercedes. Peter Windsor also expressed this desire during one of his YouTube review videos where he criticized Russell and expressed that Bottas’s inclusion in Mercedes would’ve brought out a different, better Hamilton.

“Sad to see from the point of view of the seven-time world champion who we know is a fabulous racing driver. If he was in a Red Bull this year or you know in a different situation maybe with Valtteri in the other car, I think we would’ve seen a different Lewis,” he expressed.

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However, despite the desires of various entities wanting Bottas back at Mercedes, we don’t see it happening from a logical point of view. Although we never know what the fate of a driver holds, we are all aware of the unpredictability of the silly season.