(Motorsport news) In a sport as competitive as Formula 1, being the number 2 driver, especially when you’re as talented and experienced as Valtteri Bottas is a difficult task indeed. Unfortunately for the flying Finn, in his five seasons with the Silver Arrows, he has also been the teammate of seven time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, an unfair comparison to an otherwise fantastic racing driver. Bottas has now joined Alfa Romeo on a multi-year deal, effectively replacing Kimi Raikkonen, who is set to retire at the end of the ongoing season.

Mercedes will fill Bottas’ void with 22 year old George Russell, who has impressed in his three seasons at Williams and is set to be in Toto Wolff’s plans for Mercedes’ long term future. What better opportunity for Russell than to learn from one of the greatest F1 drivers in history and carry on the dominance once the 36 year old hangs his boots? However, he will have big boots to fill as Valtteri Bottas has done exceptionally well at the Silver Arrows, winning nine races and 17 pole positions. Mercedes are showing great faith in George Russell’s abilities instead of the stability Bottas provides, especially considering their competition with Red Bull for both the drivers and constructors championship is bigger than ever.

Bottas arrived at Mercedes in 2017 as a replacement for Nico Rosberg who shocked the world by announcing his retirement days after winning the title. Bottas has finished at a podium place 63 times in his career, with 17 fastest laps and 9 race wins. He currently occupies third place in the championship after the Dutch Grand Prix and last won the Russian GP in September last year.

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