Wolff: 'Bottas deserved to stay with Mercedes'

Following initial reactions from Valtteri Bottas and Fred Vasseur, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has now also reacted to Bottas' announced departure from the team. Wolff says he is grateful for Bottas' hard work for the team over five years and that he deserved to stay with Mercedes.

"This hasn't been an easy process or a straightforward decision for us," Wolff began in a press release from Mercedes. "Valtteri has done a fantastic job over the past five seasons and he has made an essential contribution to our success and to our growth.

The Austrian continued, again expressing his gratitude for the Finn's hard work: "Together with Lewis, he has built a benchmark partnership between two teammates in the sport, and that has been a valuable weapon in our championship battles and pushed us to achieve unprecedented success."

"He would absolutely have deserved to stay with the team, and I am pleased that he has been able to choose an exciting challenge with Alfa next year to continue his career at the top level of the sport; when the time comes, he will leave us with huge goodwill from every single member of the team, and he will forever be part of the Mercedes family," Wolff added.