Valtteri Bottas to Alfa Romeo

After 5 years at Mercedes, it has been announced that Valtteri Bottas will be moving to Alfa Romeo at the end of the season. The driver turned down the opportunity to return to Williams for a multi year contract with the Swiss team. The exact length of the contract is currently unconfirmed.

The driver commented on the move, saying:

“A new chapter in my racing career is opening: I’m excited to join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for 2022 and beyond for what is going to be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer. Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction, they have written some great pages of Formula One history and it’s going to be an honour to represent this marque. The potential of the setup in Hinwil is clear and I am relishing the opportunity to help lead the team forward up the grid, especially with the new regulations in 2022 giving the team a chance to make a leap in performance. I’m grateful for the trust the team has put in me and I cannot wait to repay their faith: I’m as hungry as ever to race for results and, when the time comes, for wins. I know Fred [Vasseur] well and I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team I am going to work with, building relationships as strong as the ones I have at Mercedes. I am proud of what I have achieved in Brackley and I am fully focused on finishing the job as we fight for another world championship, but I am also looking forward to the new challenges that await me next year.”

Bottas has been racing for many years. He competed in various junior formulae and F3, before signing as a test driver for Williams in 2010. He has titles in Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula Renault 2.0 and GP3. The Finn remained the test driver for Williams during the 2011 and 2013 season, before taking a full-time seat in the team in 2013. In the 2014 season Driver’s Championship, he managed to beat the likes of Vettel and Alonso to take 4th place. He then made the move to Mercedes for the 2017 season. His driving record at Mercedes has seen him place highly in the Driver’s Championship, finishing 3rd in 2017, 5th in 2018, and 2nd in 2019 and 2020.

This move does not come as a surprise after many rumours that George Russell will be moving to Mercedes, taking Bottas' seat. The remaining unconfirmed seats include both Williams, one at Aston Martin and another at Alfa Romeo.Stay tuned for more updates as we head into the new silly season.