Bottas retains seat at Mercedes-AMG in 2020

WITH 188 points to his name in the season, Valtteri Bottas arrives at the famed Spa-Francorchamps for the 2019 Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix with an assurance he will retain his seat at Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport next year.

The team confirmed on Thursday it is hiring Bottas for the 2020 F1 season.

Bottas joined Mercedes-AMG in 2017 and has played a key role in the team’s victory in the constructors’ championship in the past two seasons. The 30-year-old Finn is currently second in the drivers’ standings. Ahead of him is teammate Lewis Hamilton.

During his two and a half seasons with the team he has scored five race wins and 10 pole positions.

“I am very happy and proud to be part of the team for a fourth season and wish to thank every team member and the board of Mercedes for their trust and belief in me,” Bottas said. “My performances have been getting better and better each year, and this is a great way to kick start the second half of 2019.”

He noted his “overall target” is to be crowned F1 world champion, and that Mercedes is the “best option” with which to achieve it.

“We have nine races to go this season and I am determined to keep improving at every one of them. Now, all my thoughts are on Spa and delivering a strong performance with the team this weekend,” Bottas said.

Mercedes-AMG principal Toto Wolff said the team this year challenged Bottas to be even stronger than he was in the first part of 2018.

“He has achieved that, with some really impressive performances in the early races this year. Although it has been his most successful first half of a championship so far, he is hungry for more and determined to keep on improving and raising his level. That’s the mindset we want from all our team members,” Wolff said.