Valtteri Bottas

Mercedes will help Bottas keep F1 spot if Ocon replaces him

Martin Macdonald Sunday 18 August 2019 08:35

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claims that the team will not make things “complicated” for Valtteri Bottas if they decide to leave him out of their driving line-up for 2020, saying they will aim to find him another team.

With Lewis Hamilton cruising in the world championship and with Max Verstappen threatening his second position, Bottas is under increasing pressure to secure his seat for next season, especially after his last two results in which he crashed out of the German GP and finished eighth in Hungary.

Speculation is mounting that he could be replaced by Esteban Ocon for 2020, and Wolff has assured they will ensure the Finn is taken care of if that does happen.

"We are responsible for both the juniors and those who drive our car now. We will not do anything that complicates their future career," the Mercedes team principal said.

"Whatever we decide, we will take into account the possibilities of a driver to go somewhere else. Whether that is for Esteban who want to make progress somewhere else or for Valtteri who can make a 'soft landing' somewhere."

Bottas, along with Hamilton and Verstappen, is one of only three drivers to have won a race this campaign, but is 62 points adrift of his team-mate in first position.

Latest News

F1 Today

F1 News Today: Red Bull 'decide' 2026 lineup as team confirm Monza driver change

27 minutes ago

Latest F1 News

McLaren issue Mercedes twist after confirming blame for Lando Norris failure

41 minutes ago

Ferrari

F1 star reveals Ferrari 'hell' after Hamilton and Leclerc disaster

1 hour ago

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull have 'decided 2026 driver lineup with announcement pending'

2 hours ago

Christian Horner

F1 team chief hopes for Christian Horner return after Alpine links

3 hours ago

F1 Fans

F1 fans ANGRY after walking out of Dutch Grand Prix

Yesterday 22:56

More news

FIA announce late demotion for F1 star at Dutch Grand Prix

31 august

75.000+ views

Mercedes cut ties with race-winning driver for 2026

29 august

75.000+ views

Sky Sports find Martin Brundle replacement

19 august

50.000+ views

F1 Results Today: Lewis Hamilton fights back as champion SPLITS McLarens at Dutch Grand Prix

29 august

20.000+ views

Sky F1 pundit calls for Max Verstappen demotion after Dutch GP display

30 august

15.000+ views

F1 boss admits Lewis Hamilton contract 'problem'

20 august

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY

Mercedes will help Bottas keep F1 spot if Ocon replaces him

Mercedes will help Bottas keep F1 spot if Ocon replaces him