OFFICIAL: Valtteri Bottas will drive for Alfa Romeo in 2022
The final curtain for Valtteri Bottas who will no longer drive for the Mercedes team, he will join Alfa Romeo in 2022.

It is the end of a partnership that spanned 5 seasons, 17 pole positions, 9 victories, 2-time vice world champion, and many regrets, expected by some as a formidable rival to Lewis Hamilton, the Finn will finally, season after season, have folded against his British teammate.
The rumor was becoming increasingly prevalent in the F1 paddock since Kimi Räikkönen’s retirement announcement, and now it’s official – Valtteri Bottas will join the Alfa Romeo team in 2022, according to his new team’s announcement. While we don’t know the name of his teammate yet, it seems that Antonio Giovinazzi’s seat is also being sought after by other drivers (Nyck de Vries and Alex Albon). He will experience his 3rd F1 team after Williams (2013-2016) and Mercedes (2017-2021).
Breaking news! 🗞 @ValtteriBottas will join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for the 2022 season and beyond, with the Finnish driver signing a multi-year deal with the Hinwil-based team. pic.twitter.com/2XNeMtUGMn
— Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) September 6, 2021
A new chapter of my career as a driver is opening, I am delighted to join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for 2022 and beyond for what will be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer, said Bottas.
In 2017, he had come to replace at short notice the reigning world champion Nico Rosberg, within a team that was dominating Formula 1 by a mile. Even though Valtteri Bottas has stepped on the podium many times, he was often outperformed by his garage neighbor, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
For Fred Vasseur, his future team director: “It is a pleasure to welcome Valtteri to the team and we are looking forward to our journey together. With him, we bring to Hinwil a strong team player with experience at the back of the grid.”
Valtteri Bottas and Fred Vasseur know each other well, as the Frenchman has had the Finnish driver under his orders in lower categories.
Our relationship goes way back (Fred Vasseur declares), to the time when we worked together in F3 and GP3, his talent and skills are obvious and only grow over time. I can’t wait to see him put his ability to work for the good of the team. The multi-year agreement we have entered into gives Valtteri and the team the stability we need to build our project at a crucial time for Formula 1, we are delighted with what the future holds.
This transfer comes in the middle of a series of official announcements between Kimi Räikkönen’s retirement and the upcoming announcement of George Russell’s arrival at Mercedes instead of Valtteri Bottas.