Massa Ends Retirement, Replaces Bottas At Williams

MASSA CONFIRMED TO REPLACE BOTTAS AT WILLIAMS IN 2017

    Felipe Massa has been confirmed as the replacement for Valtteri Bottas, who will be leaving Williams for Mercedes in 2017.

    Massa, less than three months into his retirement, will return to F1 to partner Lance Stroll at the team he spent the past three years racing for.

    “When I was offered the chance to help Williams with their 2017 Formula One campaign, it felt like the right thing to do,” Massa said. “I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm for racing and I’m extremely motivated to be coming back to drive the FW40… I also look forward to working with Lance; I’ve known him for many years and seen his talent develop during that time, so I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

    Though he had been planning to leave F1, Williams believe the Brazilian has not lost his competitive spirt, and will be a good match for rookie Stroll.

    “He was always going to race somewhere in 2017, as he has not lost that competitive spirit, and it was important that we had a strong replacement in order to let Valtteri go,” Claire Williams said.

    “Felipe re-joining us provides stability, experience, and talent to help lead us forward. He is a great asset for us.”

    As well as the stability Massa will provide, it’s understood Williams’ sponsor, Martini, were not keen to have two young drivers at the team, so a more experienced hand was needed to partner Stroll.

    Williams wished Bottas luck as he follows in Rosberg’s footsteps, the German having also started his career at Williams before making the move to Mercedes seven years ago.

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Bottas Confirmed At Mercedes

VALTTERI BOTTAS CONFIRMED AT MERCEDES FOR 2017

    The worst kept secret in Formula One – that Valtteri Bottas was set to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes – has finally been confirmed.

    The Finnish driver makes the switch from Williams, where he started his Formula One career, and will join Lewis Hamilton at the constructors’ championship winning team.

    Team boss Toto Wolff described Rosberg’s decision to leave the team as a “challenging situation” but is happy to have Bottas – who he manages – on the team.

    “Nico’s decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle,” he said. “But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow."

    “Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very honest… He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. But now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can set up to challenge for race wins and for the Championships.”

    Bottas is, understandably, pleased with the move. Bottas’ best finish for Williams was second in 2014. In the Mercedes, it’s unlikely he’ll be challenging for anything other than wins.

    “It’s definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history, especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive,” he said. “I’m really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity."

    “I know the Power Unit well from the last three years with Williams, but there are a lot of new things to learn with the car and also with how the team operates at the factory, in testing, and at races.”

    Should Manor not continue in Formula One, Bottas will be the last driver confirmed for the 2017 season, as Felipe Massa returns to Williams to take his former teammate’s seat. With the new regulations in place, this could be even more of a hindrance to Mercedes than usual, meaning the team and Bottas have a busy time ahead to get the Finn up to speed.

    Wolff is confident Bottas is up for the challenge though.

    “We have confidence in Valtteri’s ability, and it’s one of the reasons that he is the driver we set our sights on this winter,” he said. “The next weeks will be busy as we work to build relationships so Valtteri understands the team and the car. But that’s an exciting challenge that will bring us fresh energy and a new dynamic between the drivers. And, of course, we’re working hard to give Lewis and Valtteri the car they need to do the job.”

    Nico Rosberg will come back to the team in an ambassadorial role in 2017.

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Sauber Confirms Wehrlein For 2017

WEHRLEIN CONFIRMED AT SAUBER FOR 2017 SEASON

    Pascal Wehrlein faces a new challenge this season as he switches to Sauber for his second year in Formula One.

    The German moves away from Mercedes run Manor, after missing out on the seat at Force India at the end of last year.

    Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal at Sauber, says Wehrlein showed potential throughout his junior career, including second in the Euro F3 series and a win in the DTM in 2015.

    “Pascal has shown his talent throughout his career, in single seater racing as well as in the DTM,” said Kaltenborn. “Last year, in his rookie Formula One season, he proved his potential by scoring one point in the Austrian GP in Spielberg. There is surely more to come from Pascal, and we want to give him the chance to further grow and learn at the pinnacle of motorsport.”

    Wehrlein will partner Marcus Ericsson, who continues at the team for a third consecutive year. Kaltenborn believes the pair will work well together.

    Working with Ericsson, who has scored nine points in his three years in F1, may allow Wehrlein to develop and learn, but it’s a far shout from the Mercedes seat he almost seemed destined for. The German described the upcoming year as a “challenge”.

    “It’s a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure,” he said. “Our objective is to establish ourselves in the mid-field and to score points on a regular basis.

    “That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber. Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season.”

    Wehrlein also thanked Mercedes for their support.

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Paddy Lowe Leaves Mercedes

LOWE LEAVES MERCEDES

    Mercedes Executive Technical Director Paddy Lowe is now on gardening leave ahead of leaving the team. It’s expected he will move to Williams as part of the deal to secure Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg.

    Lowe has been a part of the Mercedes team for three years, and played a key role in the team’s domination in recent years.

    Though Mercedes didn’t name a replacement for the outgoing technical chief – the “stable” organisation will run under its current Engineering, Performance, and Technology directors, and their chief operating officer – it’s expected James Allison will join the team from Ferrari after his own gardening leave.

    “Paddy has played an important part in our success during the past three and a half years and we thank him for his contribution to this significant chapter in Mercedes’ motorsport history,” said Toto Wolff.

    “Success in Formula 1 is not about single individual but about the strength in depth and technical capability of an organisation."

    “We have the talent in place to continue our success of recent years and we plan to build upon it in 2017 and beyond.”

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