Bottas nears a return to Mercedes as F1 reserve driver after Schumacher leaves

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Valtteri Bottas says he is nearing an agreement to return to Mercedes as its reserve driver for next year after Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, announced he was leaving. "We're talking and it's going well. Still a bit of work to do but we're talking," Bottas said ahead of this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. Bottas won 10 Formula 1 races over five seasons at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's teammate from 2017-21 but hasn't scored a point this season with Sauber. Bottas added he still needs to "finalize some things" on a possible return but feels he could be a mentor to 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will partner George Russell at Mercedes next year. Antonelli is stepping up from Formula 2 to replace Hamilton when the British driver heads to Ferrari for 2025. "If I end up there, I think I would have a lot to give for a rookie driver who has not raced in Formula 1 yet," Bottas said. "That would be, for sure, one part of my role, to give my input and try to share my knowledge as much as I can." Bottas is without a seat for 2025 after Sauber replaced him and Zhou Guanyu with a new lineup of the experienced Nico Hulkenberg and Brazilian newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto, ahead of rebranding as the Audi works team in 2026. The new Cadillac team backed by General Motors is also on Bottas' radar before it joins the series in 2026 as the 11th team on the grid. "It's interesting to me, and I think it's great for F1. It's a great brand and GM is a big backer behind, so for sure, it's an interesting project," Bottas said. He indicated he would seek to speak with Cadillac about possible opportunities. Schumacher is moving on from his Mercedes reserve driver role after two years as he seeks a full-time racing role elsewhere. It's "tough" to watch F1 cars race without being able to take part, he said in a Mercedes statement. "I want to get back to focusing 100% on racing. I want to be fully committed to the sporting side of motorsport. Ultimately, it is racing that you want to do as a driver, it is racing that gives you that feeling you love," he added. Schumacher raced in F1 with Haas in 2021 and 2022 and has been competing this year with Alpine in the world endurance championship alongside his Mercedes duties. ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing