Briatore is negotiating with Mercedes regarding Bottas.

      Valtteri Bottas could unexpectedly return to racing car driving during the season, specifically in an Alpine F1 car. According to The Race, Flavio Briatore has approached Mercedes, with whom the Finnish driver is a reserve, to inquire if they can count on Bottas's services. They may be needed if the factory Renault team decides to replace Franco Colapinto, who apparently is not meeting their expectations. Following Oliver Oakes's voluntary resignation as Alpine F1 team principal, Briatore, age 75, has been effectively leading the team since May. Although his negotiations with Mercedes regarding Bottas are only preliminary and no concrete decisions have been made, the very fact suggests that Alpine is indeed considering such a development. Bottas, currently without a 2025 contract, has never hidden his desire to return to Formula 1, and his management is already in talks with Cadillac F1 — the experienced Finn is considered one of the main contenders for a seat in General Motors’ factory team in the future. However, if Alpine is also interested in the services of the seasoned Finn, it clearly increases Valtteri’s chances, especially since the team from Enstone will receive Mercedes power units next year. According to The Race, citing its sources, Mercedes sees no obstacles to reaching an agreement with Alpine regarding Bottas. Currently, the team is last in the Constructors’ Championship, with only 11 points scored over 11 races, all of which were earned by Pierre Gasly. Its closest rival is Sauber, which has more than twice as many points, and Briatore is, of course, very dissatisfied with this situation. His words from yesterday’s Alpine press release: “Unfortunately, we are falling further behind our direct competitors in the Constructors’ Championship, having once again finished a race without points. Honestly, the level of results is increasingly concerning…” Knowing Flavio Briatore’s decisive nature, it’s quite plausible that he is planning another restructure within the team and is ready to bet on Bottas, who has a total of 246 Grand Prix starts, with ten wins. At the very least, Valtteri has always demonstrated a deep understanding of technical issues, and his experience will allow Alpine to better analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the A525 chassis, which is even more important in the context of preparations for 2026.