Formula 1: The worst kept secret of 2022 is a done deal

While not made official by the team, the decision has been made that George Russell is set to join Mercedes for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

Since before lights out to get the 2021 Formula 1 season underway back in late March at Bahrain International Circuit, there has been much talk about Mercedes and speculation regarding their driver lineup for 2022.

Valtteri Bottas signed his fifth consecutive one-year deal for the team in August 2020, and Lewis Hamilton signed a one-year extension back in February. The latter has since signed a two-year extension.

But Bottas, who has never competed for the Silver Arrows on anything other than a one-year deal, remained without a deal for 2022, fueling speculation that he could be replaced by Mercedes junior driver George Russell after the 2021 season.

Russell is currently in the third and final year of a three-year contract with Williams.

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had made very clear that if the team brought in Russell alongside the seven-time world champion, he would ensure that Bottas still had a team for which he could drive if he wanted to remain in Formula 1.

As the summer progressed, it was rumored that Bottas could move to Alfa Romeo as the replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, who was rumored to announce his retirement, thus freeing up the second Mercedes seat for Russell.

Prior to testing positive for COVID-19 and missing this past Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, Raikkonen did confirm that the 2021 season would be his last.

On Monday, just one day after the race, Bottas confirmed his move to Alfa Romeo.

Mercedes have yet to make any official announcement or confirmation of Russell joining Hamilton for 2022 and beyond, but the “worst kept secret” of the year itself is effectively a done deal.

Wolff said last week that the decision between Bottas and Russell had been made, and now the former has officially signed with Alfa Romeo.

So the Russell to Mercedes deal has effectively already been confirmed, save for all the inevitable pictures and graphics that will flood Formula 1 social media when the team officially welcome the 23-year-old Briton. But at this point, official confirmation is merely a formality.