Now that Lewis Hamilton’s sensational move to Ferrari has been confirmed, the pressure will be on Mercedes this season to evaluate the driver market and find a suitable candidate to complete their 2025 lineup.
Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, gave his thoughts on the shock switch and the potential ripple effect during Sauber’s Stake-branded 2024 car launch in London on Monday.
The Brackley-based squad secured five consecutive Constructors’ championships during the Finn’s time at the team, from 2017 to 2021. He was later replaced by Mercedes junior George Russell, who was promoted after three seasons at Williams.
Bottas, who is currently on a multi-year deal with Alfa Romeo (currently Sauber, soon to rebrand as Audi in 2026), reiterated his commitment to the ongoing project at the launch of the C44, but didn’t categorically rule out a potential team switch.
“And if I would go back, yeah… Well, obviously, my priority and biggest commitment is the Audi project, which is my target.
“But if that wouldn’t happen, there’s no team that I wouldn’t go [to] perhaps. I know my priorities and I’ve got my list.”
He added that, as far as he is aware, there are “no burned bridges” with Mercedes.
“It’s no lie, I was in Brackley the day before actually,” Bottas said, referencing a recent social media post he made that placed him in Brackley.
“Not at the Mercedes factory, but I was there doing some other stuff. No, we haven’t spoken on the phone yet with Toto [Wolff].”
Like most of the Formula 1 community, Bottas admitted he was surprised to learn of the news, but wished his former teammate all the best in this new chapter of his career.
“I never thought it would happen, I thought in my mind he would stay at Mercedes, but that’s Formula One,” he said.
The two developed a friendly relationship during their time at Mercedes, and Hamilton evidently holds Bottas in high regard, stating in 2021 that the Finn was “the best teammate” he’d worked with.
Bottas continued: “But I think it’s good for him—it’s a big opportunity, it’s a big move. And obviously, he’s made the decision himself.”
“I never imagined it would happen. And also the timing of it. But I’m happy for him because it’s good for him.
“I think it’s a great challenge. I’m sure it’s a big motivation for him to bring Ferrari to the top.”
He added that he expects the move will shake up the driver market and add an element of unpredictability to the silly season.
“[…] And for sure that’s now going to escalate some movement in the market for 2025. So, at the moment, it’s quite hard to predict how it’s going to go.
“So, it’s kind of cool and it will definitely create some movement for the future, which is good for the whole sport and for some drivers, for sure.”
