P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 team principal Toto Wolff has issued a verdict over whether a Mercedes driver will leave the team before the end of 2025.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has made a decision regarding the team’s drivers until the end of 2025. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are set to continue with Mercedes for 2026, while the third driver will have to depart at the end of 2025.
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes’ reserve driver, will join Cadillac’s lineup for 2026 along with Sergio Perez. Nevertheless, Bottas will remain as Mercedes’ third driver for the rest of the 2025 season, with the possibility of participating for Cadillac being considered by Wolff.
Wolff expressed his support for Bottas, emphasizing the importance of maintaining Mercedes’ racing integrity while aiding Cadillac’s new venture in Formula 1. Both Bottas and Perez have a collaborative mindset to assist Cadillac in progressing rather than seeking individual acclaim.
Bottas’s involvement in a test program at Cadillac is uncertain, given the team’s lack of a car and the significant changes in regulations for the following season. Mercedes is supportive of Bottas’s transition to Cadillac and aims to help showcase the new team’s potential in F1.
