Mercedes retain Valtteri Bottas for 2021 Formula 1 season

Mercedes have retained Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas for 2021 season of Formula 1, thus extending their association into a fifth year.

"Ahead of the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Mercedes took the opportunity to announce they would be retaining Bottas “until at least the end of 2021”, locking out the first of their two seats for 2021 with talks yet to accelerate with Lewis Hamilton about his future,"F1 official website quoted Mercedes as saying.

Ecstatic to sign a contract extension with Silver Arrows, Bottas said that he is looking forward to build on the success he has already enjoyed with Mercedes in the last few years.

“I’m very happy to stay with Mercedes in 2021 and build on the success we’ve enjoyed together already.Thank you to everyone in the team and the wider Mercedes family for their continued support and their trust in me. I’m very proud to represent this great team and the three-pointed star on our journey together again next year," Bottas said.

Bottas further said that though he has focused on improving his performance in the past few years with Mercedes, he will now look forward to raise his bar further.

“The past few years have been all about continuous improvement, working on every aspect of my performance. I’m confident that today I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, but I can always raise the bar. Mercedes embraces the same philosophy: They always want to get better and are always hungry for more," the Finnish driver stated.

Bottas was initially drafted in Mercedes set-up following a shocking retirement of Nico Rosberg at the end of 2016.

The Finnish driver went on to become an integral part of Silver Arrows alongwith Lewis Hamilton, clinching eight wins for the team so far. His best championship finish for the team came last year when he ended at second-place.