Bottas admits Mercedes reserve role talks underway

Valtteri Bottas admits he is in talks with his former boss Toto Wolff about returning to Mercedes in 2025.

The 34-year-old Finn is not being retained by Audi-owned Sauber, which was the last remaining vacancy on next season’s grid - with the possible exception of Sergio Perez’s race seat at Red Bull.

"I have a feeling that not everyone at Red Bull likes me for some reason," Bottas smiled after the Las Vegas GP, according to Finnish broadcaster MTV. "So that’s hardly an option."

Bottas has already admitted that a full-time reserve seat is probably now his best option for 2025 - opening up the possibility of a return to the grid for 2026.

When asked if he might be interested in the likely new Cadillac entry for 2026, Bottas admitted: "Yes, could be."

Wolff confirmed over the Las Vegas weekend that Mercedes would be "lucky" if Bottas wanted to return to the team next year, with contracts already being exchanged between lawyers.

"We have discussed," Bottas, who won 10 grands prix as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate between 2017 and 2021, admits. "We’ve been talking for quite a long time, but of course this weekend we’ve been focusing a lot on the race.

"But nice words from him and I’m sure we’ll be in touch again soon. Of course I want to look at all my cards, but when you look at that (Mercedes option), there are many positive things. To return to the Mercedes family - a great team.

"And it’s a great brand that can create a lot of opportunities for the future. So, yes, that is an option and I’m grateful that there are some who are willing to take me on for that role."

It would, of course, be a big challenge for a driver with almost 250 grands prix to his name, including 10 wins and 67 podiums, to have to attend all 24 grands prix next season merely on stand-by.

"That’s the thing," Bottas said. "If (the reserve) isn’t at all the races and something happens and you’re not there, you don’t get the chance.

"You have to think about things like that and you also have to talk about them with them with the team. I’m still trying to think about what comes next."