Valtteri Bottas was in a tough spot having announced his split from Kick Sauber at the end of the 2024 season. With no clarity on his ride for next year, there was a possibility that he would take a sabbatical from racing. However, this latest announcement regarding his role for the 2025 season has put all the rumors and speculations to rest.

Does Valtteri Bottas Have an F1 Seat for 2025?

The answer to this question is twofold: yes and no. Valtteri Bottas will return to his former home, Mercedes, for the 2025 Formula 1 season. But he will serve as a reserve driver for the team that already fields George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Not to forget, Lewis Hamilton parted ways with the team after his successful stint and has joined Ferrari.

This is perhaps the best opportunity Bottas has managed to secure for next year. With a total of zero points to his name and falling out of favor at Suaber, not a lot of teams were willing to bet on the 35-year-old Finn. Meanwhile, with Mercedes grooming two young drivers, Bottas’ experience and mentorship will come in handy. So, this is a win-win for both parties.

All the 10 Grand Prix wins for Bottas have come with the Silver Arrows in 100 races from 2017 to 2021. He also served as a solid partner to Lewis Hamilton, which allowed Mercedes to secure five consecutive Constructors’ championships. So he will be feeling right at home in his new role as a reserve driver for Silver Arrows in 2025.

“Returning home to the Mercedes family as a third driver for 2025 is what’s next, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I want to thank Toto [Wolff, Mercedes team boss], the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.” Bottas said this about his homecoming via Formula 1.

“I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far. As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships,” he added.

Now, it is hard to speculate that this one-year stint as a reserve will propel Bottas to a seat in the near future. This leads to more questions about his mileage and longevity in F1 racing and how long he has before he hangs his boots up.

When Is Valtteri Bottas Retiring?

At 35, Bottas still has a few more good years left to compete at the top level. Look at the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton; they are still going strong despite their age. Although the 2024 season was nothing short of a nightmare for Bottas, he wasn’t with the best racing outfit. Kick Sauber finished at the tail end of the entire grid in the Constructor’s championship, scoring only 4 points this year.

Well, going by his words, he isn’t looking to call it quits on competitive racing just yet. “Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1. Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport.”

Team Principal Toto Wolff also heaped praise on Bottas’ talent and his contribution that stretches beyond the racetrack. “His dry sense of humor and personable nature made him a firm favorite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth. In his role as Reserve Driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track.”

It will be rather interesting to see how the new driver line-up gels up through the 2025 season. Attention will also be on Valtteri Bottas and his output in the role of a reserve driver for Mercedes next season.