By AFP
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SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
Valtteri Bottas will remain as world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes partner for the 2020 Formula One season, the team said Thursday, ending speculation about the driver’s future.
“Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport today confirmed that it has exercised its option with Valtteri Bottas for the 2020 Formula One season,” the German team said in a statement.
Since he joined the team in 2017 Finland’s Bottas, aged 30, has won five grand prix and is currently second in the world championship standings behind Hamilton.
“I am very happy and proud to be part of the team for a fourth season and wish to thank every team member and the board of Mercedes for their trust and belief in me,” Bottas said.
“My overall target is to become Formula One world champion. I believe that on paper, and from my experience with the team, Mercedes is the best option for me to achieve that goal in 2020.”
Team boss Toto Wolff said 2019 was Bottas’s best ever season, but “he is hungry for more and determined to keep on improving and raising his level. That’s the mindset we want from all our team members.”