Surprise and Opportunity: Bottas Reacts to Hamilton's Move to Ferrari

Hamilton’s surprising decision to leave Mercedes has injected new energy into the driver market for the 2025 season just as it seemed to be slowing down with Leclerc and Norris signing long term deals with Ferrari and McLaren.

Bottas formerly Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes is currently with Sauber and is entering a pivotal “contract year” ahead of Sauber’s Audi takeover in 2026.

While Bottas hasn’t explicitly expressed a desire to return to Mercedes he hasn’t ruled it out either stating that there are no “burned bridges” and that he remains committed to the Sauber/Audi project. 

He expressed surprise at Hamilton’s move to Ferrari but also acknowledged it as a significant opportunity for the seven times world champion. 

Bottas believes Hamilton’s move will shake up the driver market and create movement for the future which he sees as positive for the sport.