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Bottas signs new Mercedes deal for 2021
Valtteri Bottas will remain with Mercedes until at least the end of the 2021 season after signing a new contract extension.
The Finn has raced for Mercedes since 2017 and has taken eight wins and 12 pole positions in that time, with the latest of those both coming at the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix. Bottas was also runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship last season and is second once again at this stage, although he dropped 30 points back from his teammate as a result of his late puncture when running second in the British Grand Prix.
“I’m very happy to stay with Mercedes in 2021 and build on the success we’ve enjoyed together already,” Bottas said. “Thank you to everyone in the team and the wider Mercedes family for their continued support and their trust in me. I’m very proud to represent this great team and the three-pointed star on our journey together again next year.
“The past few years have been all about continuous improvement, working on every aspect of my performance. I’m confident that today I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, but I can always raise the bar. Mercedes embraces the same philosophy: They always want to get better and are always hungry for more.
“Ever since I fell in love with F1 as a kid it’s been my dream to one day become world champion. I’m in the fight for the title this year and staying with Mercedes puts me in the best possible position to compete for it next season as well.
“We’re in the middle of a shortened season and I want to give my absolute best in every single race we’ll go to this year. The puncture last weekend was a bit of a blow in my fight with Lewis, but I’m determined to come back strong this weekend on the same track.”
Mercedes has won the constructors’ title in every season since Bottas joined, extending a run that dates back to 2014, and team principal Toto Wolff says his role in the team’s ongoing success should not be underestimated.
“We are very excited that Valtteri will stay with the team for at least one more season,” Wolff said. “We’re seeing the strongest Valtteri we’ve ever seen this year -- in terms of his on-track performance, but also physically and mentally. He is second in the championship, finished the last season in P2 and plays a very important part in our overall team performance.
“I’m confident that we have the strongest driver pairing in F1 today and signing Valtteri is an important first step in retaining this strength for the future. Valtteri is a hard-working, straightforward guy who has a good relationship with the entire team -- including his teammate, which is not a given when both drivers are fighting for the championship.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to raise the bar together with us this year and in 2021.”
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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