Mercedes keep Valtteri Bottas for 2020 F1 season paving Esteban Ocon’s way to Renault

The team had considered the possibility of promoting Ocon, the 22-year-old French understudy to Bottas and world champion Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes will keep Valtteri Bottas for the 2020 Formula One season, exercising their option to extend his contract in a move which is likely to see their reserve driver Esteban Ocon move to Renault.

The team had considered the possibility of promoting Ocon, the 22-year-old French understudy to Bottas and world champion Lewis Hamilton, who like Bottas is managed by team chief Toto Wolff, but they have decided to keep faith with the Fin who finished third and fifth in the drivers’ championship in his two first two full seasons since leaving Williams, and is currently battling Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second behind runaway leader Hamilton.

The decision means Ocon is likely to head to Renault, where he will replace Nico Hulkenberg as Daniel Ricciardo’s teammate, and an announcement is expected ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

“I am very happy and proud to be part of the team for a fourth season and wish to thank every team member and the board of Mercedes for their trust and belief in me,” said Bottas.

“My performances have been getting better and better each year, and this is a great way to kick start the second half of 2019. My overall target is to become Formula One world champion. I believe that on paper, and from my experience with the team, Mercedes is the best option for me to achieve that goal in 2020.

“We have nine races to go this season and I am determined to keep improving at every one of them. Now, all my thoughts are on Spa and delivering a strong performance with the team this weekend.”

Wolff added: “Although it has been his most successful first half of a championship so far, he is hungry for more and determined to keep on improving and raising his level. That’s the mindset we want from all our team members.

“The results we have achieved together with Valtteri are no coincidence: he has been an integral part of our championship success in the past two seasons, his teamwork with Lewis has been exemplary and he has shown real strength of character in how he has responded to setbacks.”