Formula 1: Mercedes poised to make 2021 announcement
By Asher Fair
Mercedes are set to confirm that Valtteri Bottas will re-sign for the 2021 Formula 1 season with George Russell set to return to Williams next year.
Valtteri Bottas has been driving for Mercedes on one-year deals since replacing Nico Rosberg after Rosberg unexpectedly retired just days after he won the 2016 Formula 1 world championship.
As a result, the 30-year-old is once again a pending free agent without a deal to compete beyond the 2020 season. However, given the events of recent weeks, Bottas is set to re-sign with the Silver Arrows for a fifth season next year, and that announcement looks imminent.
With Ferrari having confirmed that McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. is set to replace four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel next season, there was speculation that the 33-year-old German would join the German team to replace Bottas, much like seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher joined the team to close out his career following a stint with Ferrari.
More from Formula One
- Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
- Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
- Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
- Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
- Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points
However, Bottas, who had already told by the team that contract negotiations would be a lot smoother than they were last year when he was the subject of replacement rumors for several months, was told by Mercedes that they are not even considering signing Vettel for next year.
The other driver seen as a possibility to replace Bottas next year was Mercedes junior driver George Russell. But Russell, who is in his second season driving for Williams, recently confirmed what deputy team principal Claire Williams stated last August: he is under contract with the Grove-based team through next year. He even specifically discussed the fact that he won’t be with the works Mercedes team in 2021.
Russell’s confirmation came shortly after both Ola Källenius, the chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and the head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff made clear that they have no plans to make their first driver lineup change since Rosberg’s retirement.
All of this sets up Bottas, who opened the 2020 season with a dominant victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, to sign another new deal with Mercedes.
Mercedes have also yet to sign six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to a new deal for next season, but the 35-year-old Briton has also been tipped to re-sign. This teammate pairing is tied for the longest active tenured pairing in the sport with that of Haas (Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean).
Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark
Four of the 10 teams have fully confirmed their driver lineups for the 2021 Formula 1 season, but that may very well be five in the near future with Mercedes in position to make this announcement.