Bottas says 'never say never' to Rally shift as Mercedes F1 considers Russell switch

Questions have been looming over Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes F1 future for the past few weeks as the Finn has struggled to deliver strong performances. Bottas arrives at the British Grand Prix in fifth place in the Drivers' Championship with 92 points. In comparison, Bottas' teammate Lewis Hamilton is currently second in the standings with 150 points. As a result of Bottas' poor form, he was asked difficult questions about his future ahead of the British GP as claims emerge that Mercedes are considering replacing the Finn with George Russell.

Bottas keeps options open as potential Rally switch on the cards

With there being no update of a potential contract extension with Mercedes F1, Valtteri Bottas was asked whether he would be open to a potential switch to the World Rally Championship. In response, Bottas insisted that he was inclined to stay in F1. "First of all, I don’t like to think that way; I always try to think positive and I know what I want and I want to stay with the team – that’s the best chance for me to win races next year and fight for title. For some reason if not, I will look for other options in Formula 1 because I love Formula 1, I enjoy it, I still think I have quite a good few years in front of me.

At the same time, Bottas was open to other avenues, such as Rally, in the situation wherein he would not get a seat at another team. "And then? Never say never, I don’t know. Rally? I really enjoy it, it’s really good fun – every time I’ve been in a rally car I’ve been always smiling so it’s good fun – but to actually make a job out of it, it could be quite tricky; the guys are pretty competitive, they’ve done it all their life," added Bottas.

Mercedes F1 to decide Hamilton's teammate over the summer

After reigning Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton signed a two-year extension with Mercedes F1 at least till the end of 2023, the question shifted to who would be Hamilton's teammate for next season. Williams' George Russell has been the key option after the Brit delivered his best ever qualifying performance with P9 at the Red Bull Ring two weeks ago. However, Mercedes F1 boss is in no hurry to pick Hamilton's teammate as he has made it clear that their second driver would be decided over the summer.