Mercedes confirm Bottas for 2018

Valtteri Bottas will race for Mercedes again next year after being given a one-year contract ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, ending growing speculation about his future.

The Finnish driver has exceeded expectations after stepping in as an emergency replacement for Nico Rosberg, who retired from Formula One days after winning last year's title.

Despite having only modest results during his time with the Williams team, Bottas has won two races and formed a solid partnership with three-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas is third in the standings and has secured a further seven podium finishes in addition to his victories.

Despite his good form, Mercedes seemed hesitant whether it would keep Bottas next year. Wednesday's announcement means that both drivers will race for Mercedes in 2018, with both their contracts expiring at the end of next season.

The mutual respect between Hamilton and Bottas is a far cry from the tense relationship between Hamilton and Rosberg in the three previous years. The pair criticized each other's driving after several incidents on track.

Hamilton is chasing a fourth F1 title and leads Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel by three points with seven races left. Bottas is 41 points behind Hamilton.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Valtteri Bottas together in 2018

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is pleased to announce that it has agreed a new deal with Valtteri Bottas for the 2018 Formula 1 season.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport have announced that it has agreed a new deal with Valtteri Bottas for the 2018 Formula 1 season.

Valtteri joined the team in early 2017 and has started 13 races for the Silver Arrows so far. Having scored 197 points, the Finn currently holds third place in the drivers' championship. Since joining Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the 28-year old driver has claimed his first Formula 1 wins (Russia, Austria) as well as his first F1 pole positions (Bahrain, Austria).

This season alone, Valtteri has so far secured nine podiums - equalling the number of podiums he scored in his Formula 1 career before this season.

Toto Wolff: "We gave Valtteri a big challenge this year: joining the team at the eleventh hour, stepping up to the forefront of F1 and pairing with the sport's best driver as his team-mate. With that in mind, his results have been probably even more impressive.

"There have been ups and downs - more ups, fewer downs - and some great highlights like his two race wins in Russian and Austria. Overall, the balance of his performances and his upward trajectory made it a no-brainer for us to continue with him into 2018.

"For our team, the bonus factors are the respect and sportsmanship that have grown between our two drivers. The chemistry and dynamic between Valtteri and Lewis work and are what we need to take the fight to our competitors."

Valtteri Bottas: "I am honoured and proud to continue to work with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in 2018 and to remain part of the Mercedes family. Together, we continue to grow stronger day by day, and by keeping up our hard work I believe the sky is the limit."

"Since joining the team in January, I've enjoyed every day working with them. The welcome and the support from every team member and all the fans has been invaluable. As a driver, I've been able to learn and grow massively, and we have already enjoyed some really good moments this season that I will never forget."

"I've been very impressed by the mentality, commitment and the team spirit this team holds. Partnering Lewis has also been really good, and I'm enjoying the respect we have and the will to push this team forward together."

"When the team hired me for the 2017 season, they took a leap of faith by putting their trust in my skills. This new contract for 2018 shows that I've earned that trust. I'm happy to have celebrated my first race wins in a Silver Arrow. However, there's always room for improvement and I still have not shown my full potential."

"I will continue to work hard on and off the track, to further improve my driving, get even better results and show that putting their trust in me was the right decision. I want to thank all the board members, the people at the factories in Brackley and Brixworth as well as the race team and all the fans for their support and trust. It means a lot to me."