Valtteri Bottas is set to agree to receive a one-year extension to his contract with Mercedes will keep him at the team until the end of 2021 Formula 1 season, according to a report on Sky Germany.
The Finn has made a strong start to the 2020 season and sits atop the world championship standing after the opening two rounds, six points clear of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
The deal is said to have been agreed over the past few days after Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius gave the 30-year-old his blessing. When told the broadcaster, “We’ll stay with our two boys.”
On Friday at Red Bull Ring, Toto Wolff was on the same page and told reporters, “I assume that we will continue with Lewis and Valtteri. We are very happy with our drivers.”
With the current contracts of Hamilton and Bottas set to expire at the end of this season there had been speculation that the team could be lining up Sebastian Vettel, or even considering promoting Williams driver George Russell.
However, six-time F1 world champion Hamilton is also expected to extend his spell at the team he has raced with since 2013, which closes another big-team door for the German.
Asked whether he had hopes of securing a new deal ahead of the Styrian Grand Prix, Bottas said: “I really hope so. Obviously it’s a very special season starting so late. So, the timing is not really relevant to other seats and we’ve only done one race.
“On the other hand there’s no rush, but also yes, time will fly by quickly and as soon as we know it, it’s going to be the end of the season,” added the Finn.