FORMULA ONE Bottas signs on for more at Mercedes
F1 management challenges Singapore to keep improving, signalling new deal may be at hand
Formula One world champions Mercedes-GP announced what they said was a “no-brainer” of a deal yesterday by signing Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas for another season alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Bottas, 28, joined from Williams in January after Hamilton’s previous teammate, Germany’s 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, decided to retire within days of winning the title last November.
The Finnish driver has won two races so far this season, in Austria and Russia, and is third in the standings with a 41 point gap to championship leader Hamilton.
The extension was widely expected after four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel signed a new long-term deal with Ferrari last month, removing a leading candidate for the job.
“We gave Valtteri a big challenge this year: joining the team at the 11th hour, stepping up to the forefront of F1 and pairing with the sport’s best driver as his teammate,” said team boss Toto Wolff in a statement.
“With that in mind, his results have been probably even more impressive ... the balance of his performances and his upward trajectory made it a no-brainer for us to continue with him into 2018.
“For our team, the bonus factors are the respect and sportsmanship that have grown between our two drivers. The chemistry and dynamic between Valtteri and Lewis work and are what we need to take the fight to our competitors.”
Bottas joined on a one-yeardeal and his new contract still leaves everything open for 2019, when the driver market is likely to go through major upheaval with several top names in the spotlight.
Both Red Bull Racing drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are tied to that team for 2018 but are hot properties while Ferrari are likely to be seeking a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton’s contract is also up for renewal and expires at the end of 2018, although he has said he expects to agree a new deal. Bottas at least gets a chance to cement his reputation and win more races.
“Together, we continue to grow stronger day by day, and by keeping up our hard work I believe the sky is the limit,” said the Finn, thanking Mercedes for their “leap of faith” in him.
“Since joining the team in January, I’ve enjoyed every day working with them ... 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.
“Partnering Lewis has also been really good, and I’m enjoying the respect we have and the will to push this team forward together.”
Meanwhile, Formula One chief Chase Carey challenged the “spectacular” Singapore Grand Prix to keep improving as he made positive noises about striking a new deal to retain the night race.
Carey refused to discuss talks about the future of the street race, which snakes past the city’s landmarks and skyscrapers and is in the final season of its second five-year contract.
But Carey, speaking at the All That Matters conference ahead of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, was highly complimentary of the event, suggesting that F1 is unwilling to let it go.
“I think it’s great,” the F1 chief executive and chairman said of Singapore, which was the first race he attended after America’s Liberty Media sealed its deal to take over the sport last year.
“Last year was the first time I was here and I thought it was spectacular. You can never rest on your laurels, so I think you’ve got to continue to find ways to make it fresh, make it new, so I think we have to continue to work. If you’re standing still, you’re going backwards. But I think Singapore, with such a spectacular skyline and the setting for that race, I think is something that will always capture people’s imagination.”
Discussions over Singapore continue as the longstanding grand prix in neighbouring Malaysia, which has been cut for cost reasons, prepares for its final race in two weeks’ time.
Carey said Singapore, which is known for its pop concerts and entertainment alongside the race, had been “ahead of the curve” in the drive to broaden the F1 experience beyond racing.
“We’re actively engaged with our partners here,” he said.
“It’s our goal to try and reach a new deal that enables us to continue. We’re proud of the race here, we have a good relationship.”