F1 star Valtteri Bottas replaced in shock driver reveal

Bottas in an official Mercedes F1 team t-shirt, slumped over a railing in the F1 paddock looking despondent — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star Valtteri Bottas replaced in shock driver reveal

Bottas will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2025 season

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 15 October 2025 12:01

F1 star Valtteri Bottas has been at the centre of a shocking driver reveal following a weekend of show runs with Mercedes.

The 36-year-old brought F1 back to South Korea last weekend where he got behind the wheel of the W13 to perform to crowds at the AMG Speedway on Sunday, marking the sport's return to an East Asian country for the first time in 12 years.

Bottas previously raced alongside seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows between 2017 and 2021, before being replaced at Toto Wolff's F1 team by George Russell in 2022.

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For the 2025 season however, he failed to keep his spot on the grid with Sauber, instead returning to Mercedes as their test and reserve driver, with his witty and frequently chaotic online content doing wonders for the team's social channels.

In his latest tongue-in-cheek video on social media, Bottas' close friend and photographer Paul Ripke saw the perfect opportunity to poke fun at the Finn's lack of job stability, lining him up to drive him and Bottas' partner Tiffany Cromwell home from an evening out.

When the experienced F1 star arrived at their vehicle however, he was shocked to find his expertise were not required, with the trio instead travelling by a self-driving car.

Bottas 'loses job' to self-driving car

In the post, Ripke could be heard asking the Mercedes star: "Hey Valtteri Bottas, can you drive me home? You're a good car driver right?"

Bottas agreed, but when guided to their car, Ripke clarified: "Not at the driver's seat, this is what's taking your job." It soon became clear that the car had been provided by American autonomous driving company, Waymo, forcing Bottas to endure the ride home in the front passenger seat instead.

The former F1 driver was in disbelief at the fact that there was no driver necessary, growing visibly uncomfortable at the concept throughout their journey as the wheel span frantically despite the absence of a pair of hands to guide it!

Bottas appeared lost for words at first and finally broke his silence as the journey came to an end, declaring: "They ARE stealing my job," delivering a sombre wave to the Waymo as it drove off into the night. Ripke is often the voice behind the camera in Bottas' social media quips, including the viral Cadillac seat tease the pair posted prior to the official announcement that the Finn would be joining the American F1 team's driver lineup for 2026.

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A post shared by Paul Ripke (@paulripke)

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

F1 Mercedes Cadillac Valtteri Bottas