According to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport Valtteri Bottas will be unveiled as a Ferrari driver in August to replace Kimi Raikkonen.
In what could trigger a flurry in the Formula One market, the newspaper is reporting that Bottas – and his manager – have agreed to the deal with the Prancing Horse.
The deal, which is worth a reported €12 million dollars, will see Bottas drive with Sebastian Vettel at the team at the start of next year.
There was complication with the proposed deal, with Bottas still under contract with the Sir Frank Williams team. According to the report though, Ferrari have bought out the 2016 contract involving Bottas, and decided not to take up an option in Raikonnen’s contract to keep him at the team.
The team, reportedly, had until July 31 to exercise that option. With that running out in two weeks, it is expected the announcement of Bottas to Ferrari won’t be done until then.
Since entering Formula One with Williams in 2010, Bottas has raced 46 times for seven podiums in 2014 and 2015. His best finish was second in Great Britain and Germany last year.
It will be interesting to see how Bottas and Vettel race together next year. Will Bottas deliver immediate results to threaten Vettel’s position as the number one driver? That will be fascinating.
The expected move also opens up the driver market for 2016.
What happens with Kimi Raikkonen is the million dollar question. Will he pursue another move? Will he retire? It’s unlikely he would head to another team that isn’t near the top.
With not many top drives now available – he is unlikely to be at Williams – it could end his Formula One career. If it does, it has been a wonderful career for the Finn, who won the world championship in 2007.
The spot at Williams, in light of the move, will be hotly contested with Felipe Nasr heavily linked to the role already. The Brazilian, who has plenty of sponsorship, could be a good fit for the team that still requires some sponsorship despite two good years of success.
Others that could be linked to the drive include Nico Hulkenberg, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Kevin Magnussen.
Magnussen was extremely unlucky to lose his spot last year at McLaren and could be given a shot at Williams. Hulkenberg, who has always had talent, could finally be given a chance with a strong car and is out of contract at Force India at the end of 2015.
Finally, Vandoorne is dominating the GP2 championship and may get an opportunity to shine if Williams come knocking. The only sticking point is that he is contracted to McLaren-Honda as a development driver.
One other name is Romain Grosjean, who re-signed with Lotus at the end of 2014, but could be out of contract at the end of the year. He has talent, but has not had the car, to deliver results. I still expect him to stay with Lotus if the deal is right for him though.
Whatever happens now, one thing is certain, the reported move of Bottas to Ferrari will create plenty of interest in the driver market.
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