Steve Etherington/Motorsport Images
Bottas signs with Alfa Romeo for 2022
Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed as an Alfa Romeo driver for 2022, paving the way for George Russell to join Mercedes next season.
The Finn has been a Mercedes driver since 2017, when he was selected to replace Nico Rosberg after the 2016 world champion’s shock retirement. Bottas has helped Mercedes win every constructors’ championship since, but the 32-year-old will move to Alfa Romeo in place of Kimi Raikkonen next season on a multi-year deal.
“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,” Bottas said. “Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction, they have written some great pages of Formula 1 history and it’s going to be an honor 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, team principal) 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.”
RACER understands Bottas turned down an opportunity to return to Williams once his Mercedes departure was confirmed. The vacancy at Williams was created by George Russell, who is expected to be confirmed as Bottas' replacement at Mercedes in the coming days.
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.
Read Chris Medland's articles
Latest News
Comments
Comments are disabled until you accept Social Networking Cookies. Update cookie preferences
If the dialog doesn't appear, ad-blockers are often the cause; try disabling yours or see our Social Features Support.