Driver Bottas set to learn his future at Mercedes

HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY — Mercedes will decide next month whether to give Valtteri Bottas a new contract for 2020, with Esteban Ocon competing for the coveted seat alongside five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas’ contract expires at the end of this year, while Ocon is hoping to return to Formula One after missing this season.

Red Bull’s 21-year-old Max Verstappen — who has six career wins and is considered F1’s future star — is reportedly also in the running to join Mercedes. But Red Bull is committed to keeping him and a move to Mercedes appears problematic to push through.

While Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff is pleased with Bottas, he also needs to look at the long-term future of the team.

“For us it is not only about making the right decision for next year but looking ahead,” Wolff said Friday at the German GP. “This is why we agreed that we will take the decision in August, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we will announce it in August.”

Wolff urged the Finnish driver to “put in two solid performances in Hockenheim and Budapest” in Hungary, the last season before the mid-season break. He failed to win a race last year. Bottas vowed to prove his doubters wrong, defiantly saying in March, “I’m going to beat everyone this year.” He started with two wins in the first four races, even leading the championship ahead of Hamilton, but has not won since Azerbaijan in April.

He is in second place in the standings, 39 points behind Hamilton.