Bottas open to mid-season F1 return amid Mercedes reserve role

Valtteri Bottas, back in the Mercedes fold as a reserve driver after a three-year stint with Sauber, has made it clear that he won't be idly sitting on the sidelines in 2025.

While committed to supporting the Brackley squad and aiding rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli's development, Bottas hasn't ruled out a potential mid-season return to the grid should the opportunity arise due to exceptional circumstances.

And he doesn’t believe that Mercedes would veto a chance to rejoin the fray, although he’ll be taking his season one race at a time.

A Flexible Approach to the Future

“I think we both know, me and the team, that there needs to be some kind of… we [have] got to be dynamic,” Bottas told Sky Sports F1.

“Of course I’m fully committed to the year, giving everything I have for the team and trying to help the best I can. But if there is an opportunity to race, I doubt the team would stay in between that.

“Let’s see. Let’s take it first race-by-race, get the season started and then we’ll see what the year brings and what ‘26 brings.”

©Mercedes

Bottas's comments reflect the fluid nature of Formula 1. With unexpected driver changes becoming more common, opportunities can arise unexpectedly.

The Finn himself experienced this firsthand during his career, and he's not one to let a potential chance slip through his fingers.

Cadillac Talks on Hold

Late last year, Bottas revealed he had engaged in preliminary discussions with Cadillac, which has an agreement in principle to join F1 in 2026.

However, he confirmed that no concrete progress has been made as the American manufacturer remains focused in priority on establishing its team structure.

“I think they’ve still been very busy on actually setting up the team, setting the board and all these kind of things,” Bottas said. “So no, nothing yet, it’s a bit too early for that. But we’ll see.”

Mentoring Antonelli and Developing the W16

As part of his reserve duties, Bottas will play a crucial role in aiding rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has been promoted to a full-time seat alongside George Russell for 2025 following Lewis Hamilton’s shock departure to Ferrari.

The Finn acknowledged his role as a mentor figure within the team.

“I think mentor is not too far off,” he admitted. “When you’re a rookie, when you join the sport, there’s so many new things you got to learn. I can definitely help with that.

“And my job is to help the team the best I can. Of course, Kimi is a rookie, so he’ll probably have more questions than George.”

Beyond mentoring, Bottas will also contribute to the development of Mercedes’ 2025 challenger, the W16, as the team looks to regain its competitive edge after a difficult few seasons.

“The team will have an extra pair of eyes during the race weekend, looking at the data, looking at the driver line and stuff like that,” he explained.

“I’ll be involved in all the meetings, technical stuff and can help a lot in the simulator, so things like that. So it’s going to be a busy year, a different one for me, but yeah looking forward.”

Bottas’ return to Mercedes, though in a non-racing role, positions him as a key asset to the team while keeping his name in the mix for any sudden openings on the F1 grid.

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