Valtteri Bottas back at the wheel of a Mercedes ahead of the Australian Grand Prix

Valtteri Bottas will be back in a Mercedes car at the beginning of March as part of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, the event organizers have announced.

Read also: “I’m not finished yet”: Valtteri Bottas promises to return to Formula 1

A reservist position at Mercedes

Recruited by Mercedes as a reserve driver for the 2025 season after losing his seat at Sauber, the 35-year-old Finn provides valuable support to the main drivers, George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli.

Valtteri Bottas has already spent five seasons at Mercedes, winning 10 Grand Prix and contributing to an unprecedented series of constructors’ titles alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Ambassador of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Valtteri Bottas will drive a Mercedes 190E victorious in DTM in the touring car legends category on Sunday, March 9, one week before the season opening with the Australian Grand Prix.

During the announcement of his return to Mercedes last month, after three lukewarm seasons with Sauber, Valtteri Bottas declared: « Despite the challenges of recent years, I know I still have a lot to contribute to F1. »

« Since I was a five-year-old child in Nastola, Finland, my goal has always been to succeed at the highest level of motorsport. I have been fortunate to experience some incredible moments during my 12 years in F1. Returning to a team where so many of these moments have been accomplished, I am eager to use all the experience gained to help the team progress towards our goal: fighting for world titles », he says.

Many other F1 personalities will participate in the Adelaide event, including Australians Alan Jones (1980 champion) and David Brabham, 1996 champion Damon Hill, multiple Grand Prix winner Thierry Boutsen, former team boss Günther Steiner, as well as F1 commentator David Croft.

Valtteri Bottas is back at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival in 2025! Driving a DTM race-winning Mercedes 190E on Sunday March 9. Details here: https://t.co/cxIJKhDvgh #AMF #Adelaide #F1 #DTM #Mercedes pic.twitter.com/77aVKE5BB5

— Adelaide Motorsport Festival (@AdelMotorsFest) January 28, 2025