Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has confirmed that it has exercised its option with Valtteri Bottas to extend his contract into the 2020 Formula One season.
Valtteri Bottas joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in 2017 and has since played a key role in the team's victory in the constructors' championship over the past two seasons. Whilst his current season has been hit and miss the 30-year-old Finn is still sitting second in the world championship standings on 188 points behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.
During his two and a half seasons with the team so far, he has scored five race wins and ten pole positions.
Team principle Toto Wolff said of the extension "For 2019, we set Valtteri the challenge of coming back even stronger than we saw him in the first part of 2018 - and 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. The results we have achieved together with Valtteri are no coincidence: he has been an integral part of our championship success in the past two seasons, his teamwork with Lewis has been exemplary and he has shown real strength of character in how he has responded to setbacks. I'm delighted that he will stay with the team for another season at least - and look forward to seeing him raise the bar even further."
This news will come as a bit of a blow to driver Esteban Ocon, who had rivaled Bottas for the seat, it is now expected that he will join Renault in place of Nico Hulkenberg.
