Bottas leaving Mercedes F1 team to join Alfa Romeo

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Auto Racing Writer

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas is leaving Mercedes at the end of the season and replacing the retiring Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo. The Alfa Romeo team says that Bottas has signed a multi-year deal. It paves the way for George Russell to replace Bottas at Mercedes. For Bottas it is a sad end to a Mercedes career that never really took off after he replaced the then-world champion Nico Rosberg in 2017. Bottas has won nine races but the 32-year-old Finnish driver never mounted a serious title challenge. Russell has excelled for Williams in a much slower car.