Valtteri Bottas was called in at the eleventh hour to replace 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, who announced his retirement from the sport just days after taking his one and only title, but he is certainly impressing everyone in the team with his performances.
Ten races into the 2017 season and Valtteri already has two wins and two poles to his credit and sits third in the drivers' championship behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Throughout the season he has proven to be fast, consistent and a team player, everything Mercedes would want in a driver.
However, while Bottas insists that he hasn't really had any full blown discussions about his future with the Brackley based squad, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was quoted as saying on Motorsport.com that it was almost a no brainer that they would be retaining the Finn's services in 2018.
However, that said, Wolff will be taking the summer break to contemplate just what the future, not only 2018, will hold…
"He's almost a no-brainer. I would just like to get the puzzle together, and it's not only about 2018, but there is logic,” Wolff said. “I think it's about looking forward and what happens in '19 and '20, the risk and opportunities, and that's why after Budapest, and hopefully a good race again, I'm going to contemplate on a beach about what's right and wrong for the team."
