We’re taking a look at who could replace Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes’ reserve driver if he completes a rumoured shock return to the Formula One grid with Alpine.
The 35-year-old Finn has been without a race seat since losing his place at Sauber last year.
But Bottas has made it clear he wants a full-time race seat again.
And he has now emerged as the top candidate to replace Franco Colapinto at Alpine, if the French team decides to part ways with the Argentine driver.
According to reports, Alpine boss Flavio Briatore has approached Mercedes about the possibility of hiring reserve driver Bottas.
Talks are said to be in the early stages, but Bottas is regarded as a serious option.
Until this development, many expected Lewis Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate to have his best chance of an F1 grid return with Cadillac in 2026.
The new team currently have no confirmed drivers for their 2026 entry to the championship.
But with Alpine becoming a Mercedes engine customer next season, it is thought they would have no issues allowing Bottas to race for Alpine.
If that does happen, Mercedes will need a new reserve driver. With no confirmation over who that might be, we’re taking a look at some options to replace Bottas.
A reminder that Valtteri Bottas remains the only Mercedes driver in history with a 100% Q3 record 📈 pic.twitter.com/OSfG1P12nN
— Autosport (@autosport) June 24, 2025
Why Are Alpine Considering Valtteri Bottas?
It’s been an awful season so far for Alpine. Team principal Oliver Oakes quit after ten months in the job.
And with just 11 points from 11 races, the team is bottom of the constructors’ championship.
To make matters worse, nearest rivals Sauber – Bottas’ former team – have been steadily improving.
Sauber’s double-points finish at Austria emphasised how quickly Alpine need to get their house in order.
Number one driver Pierre Gasly has scored all of the team’s points so far.
Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan after six races when the rookie failed to impress. But Colapinto has also struggled, with Briatore stating he needs to see more from the 22-year-old.
“Clearly the car was good enough for Q3, but we are still lacking having two cars up where they should be,” said Briatore.
“Franco was through Q1 but too far away to reach Q3, which we need to improve if we are to put ourselves in a more competitive position with both cars.”
“Frankly, this level of performance is increasingly concerning,” he added.
🚨Valterri Bottas is now the leading Candidate to drive for Alpine from later this season onwards.
Not only Bottas but Sergio Perez has held talks in the past few weeks with Alpine just as it seemed the drivers were set for Cadillac.🇫🇮
If Bottas does go to Alpine, Cadillac will… pic.twitter.com/k0cRiuvgPg
— Cadillac F1 Team News (@CadillacF1_) June 30, 2025
Valtteri Bottas Alpine Move: Who Could Replace Him At Mercedes?
While nothing is confirmed, Mercedes will need to replace Bottas if and when he returns to the grid.
In light of this, here are a few options for Mercedes’ reserve driver.
Franco Colapinto
Obviously, if Bottas takes Colapinto’s Alpine seat, the Argentine will be available.
Jack Doohan, who Colapinto replaced earlier this season, is currently working as a reserve driver for the French team.
This means that it may be the best option for all involved if Colapinto and Bottas are used in a straight swap, replacing each other.
With Mercedes and Alpine building a closer relationship as engine partners, sharing drivers may become more common.
Frederick Vesti
Another option is Frederick Vesti. The 23-year-old Dane was Formula 2 runner up in 2023.
Currently racing for Cadillac Whelen in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, Vesti actually already works as a Mercedes reserve driver.
But if Bottas were to move on, we may see Vesti take on a bigger role in the team, with the hope of working towards an F1 race seat in future.
Kimi Antonelli
And our third option to replace Bottas as Mercedes reserve driver is 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli.
The Italian rookie is currently partnering George Russell in on the grid. He has impressed, at times, in his debut season.
But despite a podium in Canada, rumours are growing the Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is courting four-time world champion Max Verstappen for next season.
The Dutch driver is said to have a release clause in his Red Bull contract, allowing him to quit if he drops below third in the drivers’ championship.
Should Verstappen become available, any team would want him.
And while these are just rumours at the moment, there remains the possibility that Antonelli could lose his seat if Mercedes do go all-in on signing Verstappen.
If that happens, as well as Bottas moving to Alpine or Cadillac, it would make sense to keep Antonelli around the team as a reserve driver.
