Mercedes F1 can’t commit

Poor Valtteri Bottas. Snatched from Williams by Mercedes F1 at the end of the 2016 season to fill the hole left by Nico Rosberg’s sudden departure, he must have felt like Charlie Bucket when that massive Wonka Bar he’d impulsively decided to snaffle yielded a golden ticket.

Fast- forward to the 2017 season’s midway point, and things seem to be working well for the 27- year- old Finn. He scored his first victory at the Russian Grand Prix and has proven himself worthy of a place within a team at the pointy end of proceedings.

But even after a solid start to life at Mercedes F1, things appear uncertain for him.

The paddock grapevine suggests that Mercedes F1 considers him only a placeholder driver, as he was signed on a one- year contract. With paperworkorientated manoeuvring for the 2018 season already a feature of race weekend goss, there are calls from pundits for Mercedes F1 to extend his contract and let him flex his muscle in the driver’s seat.

But team boss Toto Wolff has refused to rule out the possibility of securing the sport’s unluckiest driver, Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard’s contract with poorly performing McLaren runs out at the end of this year so someone regarded as one of the best racers in the game will be available.

“Valtteri is doing a good job, but I don’t think you should be rushed into a driver decision,” Wolff told reporters. “The market becomes interesting in 2019 and onwards and you need to plan ahead what is happening,” he said, referring to Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes F1 expiring in 2019. It looks like Bottas may be wise to go have a few afterwork drinks with his old teammates at Williams. You know, to check in and say hi.