Bottas confirmed at Mercedes for 2020
After a long period of rumors, Mercedes officially announces the renewal of Valtteri Bottas' contract with the German team. The Finn will therefore accompany Lewis Hamilton for a fourth season with the Star company.
The announcement arrived as agreed, approaching the Spa meeting. In the Bottas-Ocon choice, the decision made by Mercedes falls under the sign of continuity.
Dominant since the arrival of the V6 era in 2014, the Mercedes AMG team opts for stability by preferring the Finn over Esteban Ocon. The decision seems logical given the team’s domination this season and the good rapport with leader Lewis Hamilton.
After a strong start to the season, Valtteri Bottas nevertheless lost power as the calendar progressed. However, given the good relationship with his number 1 and his regularly assured status as a deputy, Mercedes knew that extending Bottas’s contract by a year would not be a significant risk.
This, however, once again calls into question the legitimacy of the Mercedes training program. Esteban Ocon joins the ranks of Mercedes recruits who have been sidelined and underutilized by the brand. However, the young Frenchman seems to have found refuge with a French manufacturer for the next season, pending official confirmation.
