Mercedes snap up Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa returns to Williams - The 2017 F1 grid is all but complete
Published by Christine
It’s the news everyone has been expecting but it was finally confirmed today that Mercedes have indeed managed to poach Valtteri Bottas from the Williams team to join them for 2017. Bottas will move to Mercedes to replace the outgoing world champion Nico Rosberg, and partner Lewis Hamilton for the coming season.
Boss Toto Wolff had high praise for their new driver, saying: “Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy, down to earth, straightforward and very focused. Pretty Finnish to be honest, and a great fit for us. We have confidence in Valtteri’s ability and it’s one of the reasons that he is the driver we set our sights on this winter.”
So Bottas leaves Williams behind, and the team have recalled Felipe Massa from retirement to take up their spare seat in 2017 – hoping to pair his experience with the rookie driver Lance Stroll. Massa said: “My intention was always to race somewhere, as I still have the passion for racing and competing. My return is not about seeing Formula One as the best option, but is about seeing the role at Williams as the best option. I would not have returned for any other team.”
