As expected, the Mercedes F1 team has now confirmed that Valtteri Bottas will be remaining with the Brackley based squad for the upcoming 2018 F1 season.
Although he was only signed on a one year deal in an emergency situation after Nico Rosberg retired at the end of 2016, Valtteri has proven that he can handle the pressure of racing for a championship winning team. So far he has started 13 races for the team and has 197 points to his credit, the Finn currently holding third place in the drivers' championship.
He has two victories to his name (Russia, Austria) as well as his first pole positions (Bahrain, Austria). This season alone, Valtteri has so far secured nine podiums - equalling the number of podiums he scored in his Formula 1 career before this season.
"I am honoured and proud to continue to work with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in 2018 and to remain part of the Mercedes family. Together, we continue to grow stronger day by day, and by keeping up our hard work I believe the sky is the limit," said Valtteri.
"Since joining the team in January, I've enjoyed every day working with them. The welcome and the support from every team member and all the fans has been invaluable. As a driver, I've been able to learn and grow massively, and we have already enjoyed some really good moments this season that I will never forget. I've been very impressed by the mentality, commitment and the team spirit this team holds. Partnering Lewis has also been really good, and I'm enjoying the respect we have and the will to push this team forward together.”
"When the team hired me for the 2017 season, they took a leap of faith by putting their trust in my skills. This new contract for 2018 shows that I've earned that trust. I'm happy to have celebrated my first race wins in a Silver Arrow. However, there's always room for improvement and I still have not shown my full potential. I will continue to work hard on and off the track, to further improve my driving, get even better results and show that putting their trust in me was the right decision. I want to thank all the board members, the people at the factories in Brackley and Brixworth as well as the race team and all the fans for their support and trust. It means a lot to me."
