Being The Only Team With 2 Riders Over The Age Of 30, Mercedes Will Make An Overhaul

Valtteri Bottas (Instagram valtteribottas)

JAKARTA - Finnish racer Valtteri Bottas' contract will expire at the end of 2021 and a significant change in rules for 2022 signals a reshuffle within the Mercedes team.

Mercedes is also the only team with two riders over the age of 30. Bottas is 31 years old, while Lewis Hamilton is now 36 years old.

"Young racers are the future, for that we need to consider how we want to prepare for the following years", said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, February 9.

The Austrian man idolizes Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who is under contract until the end of 2023, but Mercedes is also interested in British racer George Russell who is the 2019 Formula Two champion who is entering the final year of his contract at Williams.

Russell, 22, is a substitute racer for Hamilton who performed impressively in Bahrain last year after the world champion tested positive for COVID-19. Russel is also considered to be familiar with how Mercedes works.

Wolff has already gave a hint that whatever Hamilton decides, the relationship with the most successful racer of all time in sport will continue in the long run at another level.

Hamilton and Mercedes also announced Monday plans to set up a joint foundation dedicated to diversity and inclusiveness in the sport.

"The idea of this foundation, came from the thinking of (Daimler head) Ola Kaellenius, when we had discussions between Lewis, Ola and myself", Wolff said as quoted by Reuters.

"We will run it together. The foundation also shows that there are alliances and relationships that go far beyond 2021".

This season starts in Bahrain March 28.