Valtteri Bottas, who joined Mercedes in 2017 and has helped the team win four constructors’ championships so far, will replace retiring Kimi Raikkonen, according to an Alfa Romeo statement.
Valtteri Bottas, a Finnish driver, will leave Mercedes in 2022 to compete for Alfa Romeo in a multi-year deal, the Swiss-based Formula One team announced on Monday.
With the move, George Russell will be able to leave Williams and join seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in an all-British lineup.
“A new chapter in my racing career is opening,” said Bottas, a nine-times grand prix winner, who will replace retiring compatriot and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
“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.”
After the abrupt retirement of 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, Bottas, 32, joined Mercedes from Williams in 2017 and said he was proud of what he had accomplished with Hamilton.
Mercedes has won the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in each of the last seven years.
Bottas has proven to be a strong team player, according to Alfa CEO Frederic Vasseur, who worked with him in the junior series.
“Valtteri has been an integral part of a team that rewrote the history books and he has four constructors’ world titles to his name: he is the right driver to help Alfa Romeo Racing make a step forward towards the front of the grid,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him put his ability to work for the good of the team.”
The uniforms of Formula One racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price: