The deal follows the popular Finn’s departure from Sauber after a three-year stint, the past two years of which have yielded little in the way of results.

He now returns to a Mercedes team with which he scored 10 grands prix wins in the third/reserve driver role alongside George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli.

“I’m happy to finally answer the question I’ve posed over the past month,” said Bottas.

“Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what’s next and I couldn’t be more pleased. I want to thank [Mercedes boss] Toto [Wolff], the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.

“Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1. Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport. I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far.

“As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships.”

Wolff welcomed Bottas back to the Mercedes fold.

“Valtteri’s impact and contribution in the five years he was us previously as our race driver was immense,” he said.

“Along with scoring multiple grands prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories.

“His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those success and pushing the team forward,” Toto added.

“Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.

“In his role as reserve driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track.

“Welcome home, Valtteri! It’s great to have you back.”