Wolff: Russell and Bottas "each have more than one option to stay in F1"

Who will drive alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2022? Will the team stick with Valtteri Bottas or will George Russell finally get his chance at the top team. We'll have to wait for the reveal, but according to team boss Toto Wolff, both drivers are going to be fine.

Someone disappointed anyway

Bottas joined Mercedes in 2017 as a replacement for Nico Rosberg. In five years, however, the Finn never really managed to challenge his teammate for the world championship. In 2019 and 2020, Bottas did finish second in the championship, but at a distance from world champion Hamilton.

Whoever will be driving at Mercedes next year, someone will be disappointed anyway. Russell if he doesn't get his promotion again, Bottas if he loses his place at the top team. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is not worried about either driver though. "George and Valtteri probably each have more than one option to stay in Formula 1 and race in Formula 1 with attractive prospects," he assures at Nextgen-Auto.com.

Excellent options for Russell and Bottas

Wolff thinks the field will be a lot closer together next year. "Most teams see themselves as challengers, they expect a big step forward next year because of the cost cap that now applies to everyone."

Many (smaller) teams, therefore, see this as an ultimate opportunity to connect with the top. "They've been focusing on development for next year very early on, you can see Alfa Romeo and Williams haven't put in a large amount of parts for a while. I think George and Valtteri, whatever we decide, will have excellent options."